


Betrothal

by RoyaiFan101



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: AU, Eventual babies, F/M, FMA:B is set in the early 1900s, I tend to enjoy making Berthold as big of a jackass as possible, If it wasn’t for Chris being his confirmed paternal aunt, Period Typical Sexism, Racial slurs, Roy Mustang is at least half Xingese, Royai - Freeform, and I don’t care what anyone says, because let’s get real you guys, but you've still been warned, i would swear Roy was fully Xingese, it is 1000 percent consenual, ok ruby no more rambles in the tags, people were racist, the underage warning is there for a reason, they could be half of one of them could be adopted, though it never says if Chris and Roy’s Dad are full blooded siblings, underage marriage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:21:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 13
Words: 41,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23532985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoyaiFan101/pseuds/RoyaiFan101
Summary: She is barely fourteen when Berthold decides it’s time to find her a husband. The thought of being married so young terrifies Riza and enrages Roy.
Relationships: Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Comments: 36
Kudos: 163





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've lost inspiration for my story Changes. So while I won't delete it, it's been indefinitely abandoned.

She is barely fourteen when Berthold decides it’s time to find her a husband.

The thought of being married so young _terrifies_ Riza and _enrages_ Roy.

Because he actually _meets_ some of her potential suitors.

They’re _all_ older then she is- older then _him_ \- and are varying degrees of cruel and sexist. The youngest of the men is nearly ten years older then her. They all barter for her, treating her as nothing more then livestock at a county fair or a piece of antique furniture at an auction.

The only positive is that they all show up when Riza is at school, a routine that her Father will stop once she’s been wed- _women have no need for a higher education, especially those who are now wives_ \- so none of the bachelors ever get a chance to lay an eye on her before Berthold shoos them away.

What angers Roy the most is that Riza getting married before she’s old enough to learn how to drive a car _isn’t_ uncommon for the area. In fact, it’s _normal_. People in her small hometown are more surprised to learn that he’s _unmarried at eighteen_ then they are when they learn that Master Hawkeye is looking for a husband for his _fourteen_ year old daughter.

He writes his aunt in a panic, asking for advice. Madam Christmas’ response? _Ask for her hand yourself if you’re so worried_. He cringes at her short letter. _That_ is his progressive Aunt’s reply? She, who has been rescuing women from abusive marriages since _before_ he was even born, was telling her eighteen year old nephew to ask his Alchemy teacher permission to marry his teenage daughter?

He groans loudly, tearing up her letter and tossing the pieces into the fireplace.

Roy finally informs his teacher of his disgust in the situation after a seventh rejected suitor- this one was nearly _forty_ \- leaves the residence in annoyance over not being successful in getting an _underage_ bride.

“What you are trying to force Riza into is _cruel_ , Master. She deserves better then to be forced to spend her life with someone who’s _your_ age.” Roy snapped, entering Berthold’s study.

The nearly senile middle aged man doesn’t even look up from his notes.

“You’re going to ignore me like you ignore her, aren’t you?” Roy scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Berthold snorted. “You want her? Take her. She hasn’t been of no use to me in _years_.”

Roy struggles to surpress his desire to knock the man’s teeth out of his skull.

“If you’re okay with it, fine. At least with me she won’t have to worry about how she’ll be treated.” Roy said through gritted teeth.

“Very well. I’ll go to the magistrate and write up a contract tomorrow morning. While I’m gone, me and him shall discuss when he’s free to marry you two. In the meantime, _you_ get to be the one to explain the situation to your future wife.” Berthold told him.

“I understand, Master.” Roy nodded.

“Good. Now get out. I’m busy.”

Roy’s silent as he leaves the study, shutting the door behind him. He lets out a shaky breath as he descends the stairs, sitting down on the front porch as he awaits for Riza to return home from school.

* * *

She comes home two hours later, her school bag filled with books and papers. She freezes halfway up the walkway when she sees the look on Roy’s face, and she _knows_.

_Her Father has chosen her a husband._

Riza lets out a shaky breath, sitting on the porch next to Roy.

“My Father has found a husband for me, hasn’t he Roy?” Riza asked quietly.

“It’s... more complicated then that.” Roy sighed.

He can’t even look at her, his soon to be _wife_ , his gaze locked onto his shoes.

“Then explain it in an uncomplicated way.” Riza requested.

“I... told your Dad how I felt about this whole situation. How I thought it was _cruel_ to you.” He told her.

“Lemme guess, he’s kicking you out and sending you back to your Aunt’s in Central?” Riza asked, frowning.

She had known that once her Father has chosen her a husband, she’d more then likely never see him again. She had just hoped he wouldn’t do anything to get kicked out before then.

“No.” Roy sighed.

“Then what is it Roy? Please. What did he say?” Riza begged, scooting closer to him.

“... He said if I wanted you, to take you.” He admitted.

 _Oh_.

“Oh. I... I didn’t k-know you felt that way about me...” she muttered, looking down at her feet.

At this point, neither of them could look at the other. They were too embarrassed about the situation.

“I _don’t_...” He admitted. “But being married to _me_ would be better for you then being married to a _stranger_. Because Riza, you never saw those men. The one that was here earlier today was your Dad’s age!” He cried, finally looking up.

Riza grimaced at the thought that her future husband could’ve been _that_ much older then her.

“S-So when do we....?” She trailed off.

“He said he’s going to the magistrates office tomorrow to write up a contract- a disgusting statement, if you ask me, you’re a _human being_ \- and they’d discuss when he was free to do the ceremony.” Roy told her.

“In order for, _this_ , to happen, there has to be a contract. No one will officiate the ceremony without it.” She explained to him.

“That’s revolting.” Roy scoffed, laying down so his back was flat against the porch.

“I’m going to miss going to school. I actually like it.” Riza said softly.

“I’m so sorry. I wish there was a way I could allow you to keep going.” He frowned.

“It’s okay.” She said.

_They both knew it wasn’t._

“Hey Riza?” Roy asked, reaching out to take her hand.

“Y-Yeah?”

“I want you to know that during this marriage, I won’t ever make you do _anything_ you don’t want to do.” He said sincerely.

Riza nodded, understanding.

“What a strange way to get engaged.” Roy huffed.

“Tell me about it.” Riza agreed, laying down on the porch next to him.

* * *

Berthold comes back the next day with the contract shortly after Riza arrives home from school.

“The contract has been filled out. Today was your last day of school, girl.” He said gruffly to Riza.

It was only _Wednesday_.

“No.” Roy said sharply.

“Excuse me?” Berthold growled at him.

“She at least deserves to finish the school week.” Roy responded.

_She deserves to have more then a nineth year education, but we all know you won’t allow that._

“Fine. She can finish the week. But _only_ because the magistrate isn’t free to marry you two until Saturday.” Berthold shrugged, going up the steps to his study, leaving his daughter and future son-in-law alone in the parlor.

Once they heard the door shut, Riza walked over to Roy, a small smile on her face.

“Thank you for getting him to allow me finish the school week.” She said softly.

“I wish you could go longer.” Roy frowned, taking her hand in his own.

Riza stood on her tippy toes, pressing their lips together. She pulled away, her cheeks flushed red. She couldn’t even look Roy in the eyes.

“That was a pleasant surprise.” He admitted, licking his bottom lip.

“I didn’t... want my first kiss to be infront of my Father and the magistrate.” Riza told him.

“That was your first kiss?” Roy questioned.

Riza nodded, still unable to look at him. Roy smirked, an odd sense of pride overwhelming him. While her gaze was still at the ground, he couldn’t help but study her. _Riza was beautiful_ , he would never lie about that. She already had a nice figure, and it would only get more lovely as she grew older.

In just a few days Riza, who had been his closest friend since he stepped through the front door at the Hawkeye Manor four years ago, was going to be his _wife_.

* * *

Riza sat next to her only school friend Jane at lunch the next day, unsure of how to tell her she’d be married on Saturday, and that her last day of school would be Friday.

 _Jane McCowl_ was a scrawny thing, shorter and skinnier then Riza. With dark brown hair and pale blue eyes, she was the opposite of Riza in so many ways.

Especially since her parents had decided to not look for a husband for her until she was at least seventeen, Mr. and Mrs. McCowl deciding that marrying before sixteen was a backwards practice.

“Riza. You’ve been quiet all day. What’s wrong?” Jane groaned, finishing her apple.

“... I’m getting married Saturday afternoon...” Riza said.

Jane let out a gasp.

“W-who are you marrying?” Jane stammered.

“My Father’s apprentice, the one who’s been staying with us the last few years.”

“That Roy fellow? I didn’t think he liked you like that.” Jane said in surprise.

“He _doesn’t_. But he told me that him being my husband would be better then some of my other potential suitors.” Riza told her.

“I’m sorry you’re going to marry someone who doesn’t love you.” Jane frowned.

Riza shrugged. “Better then being married to a complete stranger.”

“I’m gonna miss you.” Jane said sadly.

“I’m gonna miss you too.”

* * *

“What are you doing, Roy?” Riza asked, walking up to him.

It was the Thursday before their wedding, and she was confused to see him outside in the backyard, drawing a transmutation circle in the dirt, a pile of... stuff next to him.

“Something.” He said curtly, putting the stuff in the center of the circle.

“ _Please work_.” He mumbled under his breath, clapping his hands.

Riza watched as the transmutation circle flowed brightly, the pile of things Roy put into the center turning into... _nothing_.

“Ah ha!” Roy cried happily.

_Okay, so apparently it wasn’t nothing?_

“Roy what did you-?”

He cut her off, holding out a thin gold band with a tiny little gem out for her to take.

“I know it’s not much. You deserve something nicer. But I wanted to get you a ring before we got married, even if it isn’t-“

“It’s lovely.” Riza cooed, smiling at him, taking the ring from between grasp and holding it in her palm.

Roy sighed with relief.

“My goal as your future husband is to make you as happy as I can, even though I leave for the Military Academy at the end of the month.” He told her honestly.

“I’m actually kind of glad we’re getting married. It means I know I’m going to see you again.” She replied softly.

* * *

Riza doesn’t know what she is supposed to wear to her own wedding.

She had never been to a wedding before. Didn’t know anyone who had gotten married before. She couldn’t even ask her Mother for advice. Vivian Hawkeye had been dead for over a decade.

She needed to pick something. They were leaving for the town hall in less then an hour.

She wasn’t even wearing the ring Roy had made her, instead choosing to put it on a chain and hide it under her clothing.

She was scared to see her Father’s reaction to it.

In the end she chooses a simple sundress. It wasn’t white, none of her dresses are, but a very pale blue color, the hem ending below her knees and the straps made of thin ribbons. She pulls on a thin white cardigan, plain white flats, and is out the door with her head hung low, to nervous to look Roy or her Father in the eye.

Berthold grunts in acknowledgement, walking along the trail to the town ahead of the two teenagers.

“You look _lovely_.” Roy whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek, looping their arms together as they walk together.

Riza takes a moment to study what he’s wearing. A plain white button down shirt and a pair of black slacks. His usual attire when he wants to look nice.

The ceremony is simple. It’s mostly just her and Roy signing their names on paperwork, ended by a chaste kiss on the lips.

They’re back at the Hawkeye Manor before supper time.

“I’ll be in my study.” Berthold said, hanging up his jacket as they entered the estate.

“You, young lady, had _better_ perform your marital duties and provide him a _son_.” He snarled quietly in her ear, before turning on his heel and walking up the creaky staircase.

Riza internally cringes, hoping Roy hadn’t heard. He had, but he pretends he didn’t. She’s nervous, because she knows this has to happen. Riza knows that Roy would never hurt her, would never force himself on to her. But she knows her Father now views her as Roy’s _property_. As a married woman, she is expected to submit to her husband, _obey his every command_ , offer him a way to vent his frustrations- in and out of the bedroom- and to provide him with _male heirs_.

Vivian _hadn’t_ done that for Berthold. She’d _barely_ been able to give him a single daughter.

“Are you hungry? I can help you make dinner.” Roy offered quietly. Riza nodded, walking towards the kitchen.

Dinner was a vegetable stew, with more broth then vegetables. Riza had prepared a bowl for her Father, taking it up to him while Roy stayed in the kitchen.

He was _petrified_. Berthold excepted them to consummate their marriage, expected Roy to do it _forcefully_ if Riza refused him. But he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t touch her if she wasn’t ready, he wouldn’t force her to do anything if she didn’t want him to.

He promised her he would make her happy. Raping her on their wedding night was the complete opposite of that.

Riza was _fourteen_. Roy felt like a rapist even if she did consent to having sex with him.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

He looked up and saw his wife- he doubted he would ever get used to calling her that- standing in the doorway.

“I wanted to wait for you.” Roy muttered, sitting at the table.

Their dinner was ate in mostly silence, their conversations and laughs hushed so they wouldn’t be overheard by her Father. It was no different then their usual shared meals.

Except now they were no longer roommates and companions, but husband and wife.

“Roy?” She asked softly.

“ _Hmm_...?”

“Would you like to go to bed?” Riza bit her lip, a subtle way of telling him she didn’t mean she wanted to go to sleep.

“Not if you don’t want to.” Roy responded quickly.

“But I want to.” She told him.

Which was mostly true. She did want to consummate their marriage, but it was less to please Roy and more to avoid Berthold’s potential wrath if she _didn’t_.

“Okay.” Roy nodded, standing up and putting their dishes in the sink. He walked up the stairs, Riza following behind him. They tiptoe up the steps, careful to avoid the parts that creak as they make their way to his room.

His room. Not hers. Never her room. His room is the farthest bedroom from Berthold’s bedroom and study.

Roy shuts his bedroom door with a click, the lock turning to allow them privacy. He’s barely turned around when Riza kisses him, moaning as his arms wrap around her waist. Riza slowly walks backwards towards his bed, the back of her legs hitting his mattress. He lays her down against the comforter, hovering over her. The mattress squeals loudly under their combined weight, and causes them both to freeze, listening for the sound of opening doors.

 _They hear no such noise_.

Roy trails his lips along her neck, earning a soft moan from her. Riza hands reach between them, unbuttoning his shirt as he tugs down the thin straps of her dress, exposing her bare chest.

It was _unladylike_ to leave the house without a bra, but the dress chose to wear for their wedding wasn’t bra friendly.

Riza moaned when his mouth from her neck to her chest, his tongue swirling around her nipple.

“ _R-Roy_.” She gasped, her fingers fisting into his hair.

He sits up, leaving her exposed only long enough to remove his shirt, leaning back down to kiss her chest again. He lets out a groan as her nails scrap down his back.

Suddenly Riza is pushing him away, and he’s instantly worried he’s done something wrong.

“A-are you okay?” He stammers.

Riza ignores him, instead she sits up, and focuses on pulling her dress back over her head and throwing it to the floor. She eyes him up and down, staring at him with a lust filled gaze

“You have too many clothes on.” She informs him, reaching forward to grasp him by his belt buckle.

“When did you gain such a confidence boost?” He chuckled lowly. She quickly pulled her hands away, stammering out a response.

“Hey hey. I’m not complaining. Just stating a fact.” He reassured her, kissing her on the lips before removing his trousers, leaving the two of them in nothing more then their underwear.

Riza honestly figured he would just remove their underwear and... _stick it in her_. That’s how all her female classmates said their Mother’s described it, Jane included. She had mentally prepared herself for her wedding night, long before Berthold gave her hand to Roy, expecting to feel mostly pain and no pleasure as her husband used her body to get himself off.

But Roy didn’t do what she expected him to.

He slid her panties down her legs, and knelt down on the floor, spreading her legs and looking at her.

_It was embarrassing._

“R-Roy what are you- _hmm_!” She squeaked, feeling his tongue against her, immediately clamping her legs shut against his head.

“ _I can’t breathe_!” He mumbled frantically, smacking her thigh with the side of his hand.

“S-Sorry.” Riza said, opening her legs and freeing him.

“It’s okay. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He cooed, holding her thighs apart as he repeated the action.

“ _Mmmm_.” Riza But her bottom lip, trying to contain her moans.

No one had ever described _this_. Yes, they’d mentioned a woman would be expect to please her husband with _her mouth_ , especially if he wanted pleasure during her menstrual cycle, but having him please her with _his mouth_? Riza had _never_ heard of _that_.

She feels his tongue dip inside of her and her back arched up, her fingers gripping his hair.

“ _Ohh G-God_.” She groaned, panting.

She can’t take it anymore, and finds herself pushing him away.

“No more. P-please.” She begs, face flushed.

Roy frowns, pulling away from her.

“Everything alright?” Roy asked. He wanted to please her, it was one of the many goals he had given himself as her husband. He needed to know what she liked and didn’t like.

“Y-Yeah j-just, too much. Hard to keep q-quiet.” She gasped.

 _Oh_. She doesn’t want her Father to hear them. A bit ironic, considering he expects them to do this, but Roy just mentally shrugs the thought away.

“Alright.” Roy shrugged, giving her clit a quick and final kiss before standing back up again.

“Get under the covers.” He ordered softly. Riza does as she’s told, slipping between his sheets as he pushes his boxers down, climbing under the sheets to join her.

He settles himself between her legs, and Riza can feel his arousal pressed against her inner thigh. It’s thick and warm and she wonders how the hell its supposed to fit inside of her.

“It’s going to _hurt_.” He mumbled in her ear, kissing her neck.

“How do you want me to do this, slow and steady, or quick like ripping off a band aid?” Roy asked, his head nestled against her entrance, and he hopes to God she chooses slow and steady.

_She doesn’t._

“Quick like a band aid.” She gasps, wanting to get any pain done and over with, even if doing it quickly will cause her to feel more pain then if he went slow. He exhales sharply through his nose, presses their lips together, and thrusts inside of her, fully sheathing himself inside of her.

Riza yelps against his mouth, fighting back tears at the pain, her body tensing up at the foreign feeling.

“ _I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry._ ” He repeats softly in her ear, feeling her nails dig into his biceps.

They haven’t even been married six hours and he’s already hurt her.

“Are you okay?” Roy asked, his voice containing nothing but concern for her well being.

“I t-think so.”

“Want me to continue?”

Riza nods, letting out a whimper as he pulls out of her.

“We can stop if you want.” Roy says quickly, seeing that she’s still in pain.

“No. Just, let me get used to it.” She gasps.

Roy kisses her neck, sinking back inside of her, moaning as her walls grip him as he starts a slow and steady rhythm. She feels so good, and it gives him an immense sense of pride knowing that _she is his_ and _he is hers_.

It doesn’t take long for her whimpers of discomfort to turn into happy little gasps and moans. Riza arms wrap around him, nails digging into his skin.

“ _More_.” She begs, burying her head between his neck and shoulder as she lets out a moan.

“You sure?” Roy asks, and her response is a frantic nod.

“P-please!” She groans.

He picks up speed, slamming in and out of her, grunting and groaning against her neck. Riza moans beneath him, arching her back as her walls clench him, her orgasm overwhelming her.

Roy’s barely able to pull out of her in time, spilling his seed onto her panting stomach. He doesn’t want to risk getting her pregnant. Not right now. They’re not ready to start a family at the moment.

Once they’ve caught their breaths, he pulls the covers back, and climbs out of bed to find a sore t-shirt to clean his cum off of her.

Riza can’t help but to touch it, grimacing at the sticky feeling.

“Oh don’t play with it.” He shakes his head with a groan.

“Father always said a husband is supposed to finish _inside_ his wife.” She mumbled softly, watching him clean his seed off of her.

“I don’t want to get you pregnant right now.” Roy told her.

“How come? It’s my duty as your wife to provide you with _heirs_.” She told him, sitting up on her elbows.

_Idiot. He’s your husband, you’re not supposed to question his decisions!_

“And one day you will. As many as fate blesses us with.” He told her, peppering her face with kisses.

A conversation they had shared together his first spring with them had allowed them both to learn that they each wanted lots of kids, Roy because it was what he was used to and Riza because it was the _opposite_.

“But I leave for the Academy in a month and will be gone for nearly three years. I don’t want you being pregnant and alone while I’m gone. I want our children to meet me before they’re walking and talking. Besides, I don’t really trust your Dad alone with a small child- especially if it's _my_ child.” He admitted, climbing back into bed, wrapping his arm around her as she snuggled into his chest.

 _Not to mention the fact that childbirth at your age could possibly kill you, but I’m not going to mention that_.

“Makes sense.” Riza yawned, her eyes drooping shut, the newly weds drifting off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is NOTHING more irritating then finding a bunch of typos AFTER you’ve published a story. I went back and fixed the last chapter, hopefully I found all of the typos.

Roy awakens to the suns rays hitting him in the face. Groaning, he throws his forearm across his eyes, only realizing afterwards that Riza _isn’t_ laying against his chest like she was when he fell asleep.

_Where is she?_

He sits up and looks around, sighing with relief when he sees her on her side, the covers pooled at her waist as her back faces him and his bedroom door. He can’t help but smile at the sleeping form of his new bride, bending down to press kisses along her shoulder blade.

Riza moans softly, slowly drifting awake.

“Good morning, _darling_.” He said, kissing her neck.

“Good morning to you too.” She sighed happily.

“How are you feeling?” He asked.

“A little sore. But I actually don’t mind it.” She admits, turning her head to kiss him on the lips.

Before they can proceed any further, however, they are interrupted by a rapid thumping on the other side of his locked bedroom door. Sighing in annoyance, Roy gets up and out of bed, pulling on his slacks from last night, as Riza turns her head to face the window, pretending to still be asleep.

Roy unlocks and opens his door, internally irritated but not surprised to see Berthold on the other side.

“Yes?” Roy asked, swallowing a yawn.

“I need to travel to the nearby town for supplies. I’ll be back by Tuesday. Make sure you study.” Berthold grunts.

“Yes Sir.” Roy nods.

“And tell _her_ to keep _quiet_. She isn’t supposed to be enjoying herself when she pleases you.” He snarls, pointing to Riza’s “ _sleeping_ ” form.

“I understand Sir. I’ll tell her when she wakes up.”

“As your wife, it’s her job to be awake _before_ you.” Berthold scoffs.

“She needs her rest. She’s of no use to me _exhausted_. I’d prefer her to at least be _conscious_ when she’s pleasing me.” Roy said, crossing his arms.

Berthold let out another scoff, and rolled his eyes, but left without uttering another word. Roy waits until he’s heard the front door slam shut, before he closes his bedroom door again, flopping down onto his bed as he lets out a loud groan.

“Goddamn I _hate_ that man.” He snarled.

“And I hate that I have to talk about you like that around him. It’s sick and wrong.” He added, turning to face her.

Riza had since rolled over, and was now facing him.

“As long as you don’t treat me like that in private, it doesn’t bother me if you speak about me like that when my Father is discussing me with you.” She told him.

“What?”

“I mean it, Roy. Honestly.” Riza cooed.

“I’m more upset about the fact that I wasn’t supposed to enjoy last night then anything else.” She admitted sadly, rolling onto her back.

“A woman is supposed to enjoy sex. If they weren’t, a woman would never feel aroused.” Roy told her, sitting up in his bed.

“Besides, there’s a positive to him being gone for two full days.” Roy smirked.

“What’s that?”

“You can be as _loud_ as you want to be.” He grinned down at her, causing her cheeks to flush.

“Roy?” Riza asked softly.

“Yeah Riza?”

“I wanna...” she sighs, trailing off.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Roy questioned, concerned. If something was bothering her she needed to tell him so he could try to make it-

“I wanna have sex again!” She blurted out.

 _Ohh_.

“Are you sure?” He asked.

“I do if you do.” Riza nodded.

Roy leaned down over her, encasing one of her nipples in his mouth, his tongue swirling around the bud.

“ _Ooh_!” Riza moaned loudly.

He took one of his hands and slipped it under the covers, down the smooth skin of her stomach, passed the patch of blonde curls, arriving at the slick flesh between her thighs.

“Roy.” She gasped, feeling one of his fingers dip inside of her.

“Riza, is it okay if we repeat what we did last night?” He asked her, his mouth going from one breast to the other.

“Y-Yes.” She groaned, hiding her confusion. _Why is he asking that?_ She had already told him she wanted to have sex again.

Sitting up, Roy pulled the covers off of her, leaving her body completely exposed. Instinctively, Riza spread her legs, expecting to feel his member enter her. Instead, she lets out a shocked gasp when she feels his lips press against her inner thigh.

_Oh. He meant repeating this._

Using his fingers to part her folds, he licks his lips at the sight of her womanhood. _Wet_ and oh so _pink_ and absolutely his to _taste_. His tongue pressed between his fingers, swiping up to her clit.

Like her, Roy wasn’t very experienced in having sex.

He’d only done it once before last night, a week before he left Central to study Alchemy. It had been short, awkward, and he certainly hadn’t done _this_. ( _He wouldn't even know what to do if he hadn’t heard his oldest sister Cherry discussing it with the others when he was eleven_.) His first time had been with a woman of the night- an _actual_ woman of the night, not one who put up a front like his sisters did- that was a decade older then him. She’d provided the condom, but if his Aunt _ever_ found out? She’d _slaughter_ him _and_ the woman.

“ _Oohh_!” Riza cried out, clenching his hair as he lapped at her sex.

“ _Fuck_!” She yelped, bucking her hips as he sucked on her clit. Her hands fly to her face, clamping over her mouth in horror when she’s realizes what she’s just said.

Roy pulls away from her and starts _laughing_.

“I didn’t even think you _knew that word_ , much less did I ever expect to hear it come out of your mouth.” He says between cackles, kissing the juncture between her thigh and womanhood.

“Roy.” Riza groans, frowning. She finds the whole situation _embarrassing_ , and him finding it _hysterical_ isn’t helping.

“Don’t get upset, dear.” He tells her, sinking a finger into her as his mouth goes back to her clit.

Riza is practically writhing at this point, hands covering her mouth to hold back her moans. Roy ends up having to use his free arm to hold her steady, his forearm slung across her stomach to keep her lower half still so he could pleasure her.

He could feel when her orgasm arrived, her walls clenching his finger as her juices leaked out onto his tongue. She tasted absolutely _delicious_ and he couldn’t get enough of her.

When he pulls away to look at her, Riza is an absolute mess. Her face is flushed and she’s panting heavily as she comes down from her high. There’s a boost to his ego at the knowledge that she was like that because of him.

“Why are you still wearing your pants?” She asked him, still panting.

Roy quickly shed his pants, and for the first time Riza was able to get a good look at his member. He was thick and large and had Riza’s jaw hung open in shock.

“How much of _that_ fit inside me last night?” She yelped.

“... _All of it_...” Roy told her. Which was the truth, every inch of his dick had fit inside of her.

“Oh my God.” Riza gasped, the back of her head hitting the pillows.

She bends her legs at her knees, spreading her legs as he positions himself in front of her. Roy sinks inside of her to the hilt, letting out a shaky moan as her warmth envelopes him. He takes her hand and places it where they’re joined, letting her feel that, _yes_ , all of him did fit inside of her.

He rests on his knees and grips her hipbones as he slides in and out of her, picking up speed with each trust. Riza was moaning with every trust, sometimes his name, sometimes God’s, but each sound she made was music to his ears.

She felt so good, her walls clutching his member in a vice like grip. Roy knows he’s going to have to pull out soon, they can’t start a family. _Not now_. Not while they still live with her abusive and neglectful Father, not when he’s about to be gone for over two years. He _can’t_ leave Riza and a baby- _their baby_ \- alone in an empty house with a _monster_. Especially if they end up conceiving a _daughter_ instead of a _son_.

He _doesn’t_ pull out in time.

He swears under his breath, as he quickly removes himself from her and finishes cumming against her thigh. Despite the amount he shot out against her skin, he can already see a trail of milky white liquid seeping out of her opening.

Riza doesn’t say anything, she doesn’t move, doesn’t even breathe. She can feel his seed trickling out of her and on to his sheets, and she knows Roy is pissed at himself because of it. He’s still snarling under his breath as he cleans her thigh off with a rag, and gets dressed in a pair of clean clothes from the wardrobe in his room.

Riza stays quiet as he does this. She’s scared. Not because Roy is angry. Not because they might’ve just conceived a child that he _didn’t want_ this soon into their marriage. No, she’s scared because she _enjoyed_ it. She enjoyed feeling the small amount of warmth he spilled into her before he quickly pulled out of her, the rest of said warmth landing onto her thigh.

“R-Roy?” She mumbled softly, finally speaking up.

He looks at her, and forces himself to calm down, because he knows his behavior is starting to make her nervous.

“Yeah Riza?” He said quietly.

“I heard... _rumors_... that there were certain tea blends that can help prevent, _this_ , from happening. Is that true?” She asks.

“They’re not... very reliable. Aunt Chris says anyone that uses them and gets the results they want are just _lucky_.” He informs her honestly.

“Most we can do is just wait and see.” He groans, rubbing his eyes.

“I’m sorry.” Riza mumbles, finally sitting up.

“Don’t be. You have no reason to be. _It’s my fault_. I knew I should’ve bought preventatives when I went into town Friday. But I was an _idiot_ and _didn’t_.” He sighed.

Riza simply frowned, reaching over the bed to grab the shirt he had worn when they got married, slipping her arms into the sleeves and buttoning it up. She climbs out of his bed to look for her underwear, the hem of his shirt stopping midthigh.

“You look nice in my shirt.” He tells her, causing her to blush.

“I’m gonna go make breakfast. Do you want anything in particular?” She asks him.

“Whatever you want is fine.” Roy shrugs.

“Pancakes it is.”

* * *

They eat their breakfast in utter silence.

Riza knows that a part of him blamed her. She had been the one that wanted to have sex.

“Roy?” Riza asked, finally speaking up.

“Hmm?”

“Why are you so _against_ us having a baby right now? I-I know you gave me an answer last night, but it just seems like there’s more to it.” She wondered.

_Is it because you don’t want to have a baby, or because you don’t want to have a baby with me?_

Roy exhaled, putting his fork down onto his empty plate.

“I’m gonna be gone for over two years, Riza. Which means you will be here, carrying _our_ child, _alone_ with your Father. I won’t be able to protect the two of you from him if I’m _gone_. And while I don’t care about the genders of our future children- I’d be just as happy with all girls as I would be if we had all boys or a mixture of both- I don’t want to have to worry about our baby if it’s a girl instead of a boy.” Roy sighed.

Riza’s eyes widened at what he told her. “You... you don’t think my Father would ever hurt-“

“Yes. I do. In fact I would be more surprised if he _didn’t_ hurt the baby.” He said bluntly.

Riza grows silent, standing up and taking their dishes, putting them in the sink.

“Riza?”

“Yes?”

“If you _do_ end up becoming pregnant, I want you to go live in Central with my Aunt. You and the baby will be safe there.” Roy said, his tone informing her that it _wasn’t_ a suggestion, but a command.

He lets out a groan when he realizes what he’d just told her and the way it had come out of his mouth.

“We haven’t even been married a full twenty four hours and I’m already breaking my promise to you about not making you do anything you don’t want to.”

He feels her arms wrap around his neck as she stands behind him, resting her cheek against the top of his head.

“There’s a _difference_ between you giving me an order because you want to _control me_ and giving me an order because you’re _worried_ about the safety and well-being of me and our possible unborn child Roy.” She cooed, kissing his temple.

“Oh crap!” He yelped, quickly standing up.

“What? What’s wrong?” Riza asked, worried.

“My Aunt _doesn’t know_ that we’re _married_.” He stammered.

“There’s a payphone in town, between the town hall and the general store. We can go there and you can call her. We can also buy some preventatives.” She suggested.

“Even I do end up pregnant, I think it would be wise to use them.”

“Yeah. Better safe then sorry.” Roy agreed. “Go get dressed and I’ll meet you outside.

* * *

Riza comes out six minutes later in a pair of overalls, an old t-shirt, and a pair of worn out sneakers.

Her Father _never_ allowed her to wear anything other then skirts or dresses, so since he was gone she was going to take full advantage of her freedom.

“Hop on.” Roy told her, patting his back. She put her hand on his shoulders, and jumped, wrapping her legs around his waist. He moves his arms behind him, supporting her with his forearms as he carries her, piggy back style, towards town.

“You don’t have to carry me, you know.” Riza told him, resting her head on her shoulder.

“I want to.” Roy smirked.

“... Do you think we’ll _ever_ get used to being married?”

“Probably _not_. I _never_ thought I’d be married at eighteen. Did you ever think you’d be married at fourteen?” He asked her.

“I had a feeling I’d be married by sixteen, but _no_ , I didn’t think it would happen _this young_. It’s... _scary_. I don’t mean being married to you is scary, just being married in general is.” She answered him.

“I understand completely. I still think that you’re _too young_ to be married- I’m _never_ going to _not_ think that.”

“I know you don’t want kids _now_ , but when do you want them?”

“Definitely _after_ I’m back from the Academy, when we have our own place and we are _far away_ from this backwards ass town.” He told her.

“And then we start on the baby making?” She asked.

“And then we start on the baby making. How many babies do you wanna have?” He questioned.

“ _Lots_... and _lots_... and _lots_ of babies.” She grinned, kissing the side of his neck between each word.

“At one point in time, I had _fifteen_ foster sisters.“ Roy told her.

Riza pulled away from his neck and cringed. “ _Not that many babies_!” She cried.

“How about we keep it in the single digit range?” She suggested.

“Sounds like a plan.”

* * *

They make it to town and Riza hops down when Roy gets to the phone booth.

He let out a shaky breath as he puts in a cenz coin and dials her phone number.

“ _Hello there! Madam Christmas’ Bar, Cherry speaking! May I ask who’s calling?_ ” Riza heard a bubbly voice speak over the other end.

“Cherry. It’s Roy. Put Chris on the phone.” Roy asked. Riza found herself snuggling up to him, his arm wrapping around her waist to hold her closer to him.

“ _Sorry, Roy. But Madam Christmas is busy balancing the checkbooks. Can I take a messa_ -“

“Cheryl! Put. My. Mother. On. The. Phone!” He snapped, growing annoyed. Riza winced, not used to him sounding so angry.

“ _Hey Madam! It’s Roy, he wants to speak to you!..... He won’t let me take a message! He’s being stubborn!_ ”

They both hear silence for a few minutes. During that silence, Riza sees a familiar face coming out of the general store, a happy gasp leaving her mouth.

It was _Jane_.

“Psst, can I go talk to my friend Jane?” Riza begs him.

Roy looks at her like she’s grown a second head. “What am I, your owner now? Go have fun.” He said, pulling his arm away from her as she runs towards Jane, throwing her arms around her.

“ _Hello?_ ” A gruff voice speaks over the phone.

“Hey Mama!” Roy grinned.

“ _Why do you insist on calling me that when you call me from that Podunk town you’ve been staying at these last few years?_ ” Christmas groaned.

“Because no one here knows what you look like, thus you don’t have to worry about your reputation.” He told her.

“ _What is it you wanna talk to me about, Roy boy?_ ”

“I... kinda got _married_ yesterday.” He quickly tells her, holding the phone as far away from his ear as possible.

“ _YOU DID WHAT!?_ ” Christmas screamed.

Meanwhile, Riza and Jane were sitting on the steps of the town hall, chitchatting as they watched- and overheard- Roy getting yelled at over the phone.

“So, how was the wedding?” Jane asked her.

“Honestly? Kinda _boring_. _Nothing_ like those little fairy tales made them always sound. Mostly it was just us signing a bunch of papers. Took us longer to get to town then it did actually getting married.” Riza shrugged.

“And the wedding _night_...?” Jane asked, wanting to know _every_ juicy detail.

Riza’s face turned bright red. “It was _nice_. It hurt at first, we all know it’s going to. But Roy was so considerate. He asked me multiple times if I was okay, if I wanted to stop. He didn’t force me to do anything that I didn’t want to do.” Riza explained.

“You also won’t believe what he did, before the actual sex happened.”

“What? What did he do?” Jane asked, keeping her voice down.

Riza bit her bottom lip and whispered into her best friend’s ear “ _He put his head between my legs._ ”

“No!” Jane gasped.

“Yes!”

“But guys don’t do that around here. It’s something only girls are expected to do that.” Jane reminded her.

“Must be a Central thing.” Riza gushed. “Because he did it again earlier this morning.”

Jane’s jaw hit the ground.

“And he did it _willingly_? Like he didn’t act like he didn’t want to do it?”

“No, he wanted to do it. Truth be told, I think he enjoyed it more then I did- which is saying something.” Riza smirked.

“But I’m gonna miss him.” She added with a frown.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s leaving to join the military at the end of next month. I won’t see him again for over two years.” Riza pouted.

She was going to miss him, and with the possibility of a baby being on the way, she was going to miss him even more.

“Do cadets not get any leave time?” Jane asked.

“Not that either of us are aware of. As far as we know he gets an unlimited amount of letters, and a five minute phone call every other week.”

“That sucks. What are your plans for when he gets back?”

“Get our own place as far from here as we possibly can and start a family.” Riza told her.

They were silent for a moment, as Jane studied Roy’s features. He clearly wasn’t a full blooded Amestrian, but she couldn’t place his features to a specific ethnicity.

“Hey Riza, where is Roy from again?” Jane asked her.

“Amestris, born and raised. But his birth mother is from Xing. Not sure if he has any other ethnicities in him though.” Riza said.

“I heard a... _rumor_ , that men who have Xingese blood are... _small_ , in their pants.” Jane said, fighting off a blush.

Riza’s spine went ramrod. “If he’s _small_ , I’m glad I’m _not_ with someone who’s _big_! Because oh boy.” Riza said, letting out a whistle, her and Jane both squealing with laughter.

As her and Jane cackled, Roy continued speaking to his Aunt.

“Why are you so pissed, you told me to do it. You wrote in your letter, and I quote: _Ask for her hand yourself if you're so worried._ ” Roy reminded her.

“ _And so you asked her Father if you could marry her?_ ” Chris scoffed.

Roy could hear one of his sisters, possibly Vanessa or Cherry, in the background scream “ _Married? Roy got married!?_ ” but she was ignored by his Aunt.

“Hell no! I told him how I thought what he was doing was cruel to her. His response? _Take her if you want her_. I figured being married to me was better then being married to a man twice my age.” He sighed.

“ _He essentially gave her to you? Just like that?_ ” Chris asked.

“Yes.” Roy told her.

“ _Huh. I wonder if he wanted you to marry her the whole time, and was just waiting for you to say something about it..._ ” Chris suggested.

“I never... thought of it like that.” Roy mumbled.

“ _How many suitors did he reject for her before you finally spoke up?_ ” Christmas asked.

“Seven that actually showed up to the Manor. I don’t know if any sent letters or telegrams.”

“ _Interesting. Any chance I can expect some grand babies soon?_ ” Her tone told Roy that the answer had better be _no_.

“Hopefully that won’t happen until after I’m finished with the Academy.”

“ _Where’s she gonna stay while you're gone?_ ”

“I dunno. I want her to stay with you and the girls up there I’m Central, but her Dad’s health isn’t as good as it used to be. Part of me wonders if that’s why he married her off so young, so he wouldn’t have to worry about her after he was gone. Because I don’t think he has more then a couple years left- _if that_. He’s mean to her, but for some unknown reason she still cares about him. I honestly think she’ll stay here.” Roy sighed.

“ _You know, you could always just order her to stay with me. It’s pigheaded and not how I raised you, but husbands do it all the time._ ” Chris reminded him.

“I promised her before we got married I’d never force her to do anything she didn’t want to. But I did tell her staying with you was an option.”

Christmas snorted into the phone.

“ _Sounds like she got a good one. Where’s she at now?_ ”

“Talking to a friend from school. Her Dad won’t let her go to school anymore since she’s married- a stupid rule of his honestly, but his house his rules- so she’s essentially saying goodbye. She actually asked me if she could go talk to her, like she needed my permission. What am I, her owner?” Roy scoffed.

“ _Roy boy, you’re her husband now. In some parts of the country, you essentially are her owner._ ” She sighed.

“Oh.” Roy grimaced.

“ _Anyway, I got to go. I expect to hear from you again before you get shipped off to the Academy._ ” Christmas ordered.

“Yes Mama.” Roy laughed.

“ _Don’t call me Mama!_ ”

 _Click_.

Shaking his head, Roy hung up the phone, and walked over to where Riza and Jane were sitting and laughing. He leans down to kiss Riza on her cheek, earning a happy sigh from her.

“Do we need anything from the store besides what we mentioned earlier?” Roy asked her.

“Just some groceries and cleaning supplies.”

“Oh crap! I gotta go, my Mom is expecting the groceries she sent me to get! Bye Riza!” Jane yelped, standing up and grabbing her purchase and running down the road.

“Bye Jane!” Riza hollered after her.

* * *

Riza waited outside the general store while Roy went in to get the groceries and condoms, to scared to go in with him.

_“What’s the big deal?” Roy had asked her, confused._

_“Father says only whores use preventatives. I don’t want people seeing us together when you buy them and having it get back to him.” Riza mumbled._

_“Oh. Okay. What other supplies all do we need and I’ll get them.”_

_“Bleach, laundry powder, milk, and a loaf of bread.” She told him._

_“Okay. Wait out here please.” He said, walking into the store._

While she waits, she sees one of her and Jane’s classmates, Molly Brown. Molly was the _prettiest_ girl in town, with strawberry blonde hair and bright green eyes. It surprised Riza more then anything that Molly was still unmarried.

But Molly was also the _meanest_ girl in town. _Maybe that’s why she’s unmarried?_

“Oh looky. It’s the farmer girl.” Molly sneered, looking Riza up and down.

“Hello Molly.” Riza said, letting no sign of emotion show in her words. She crosses her arms behind her back, hiding her wedding band from the other blonde.

“I can’t believe your _freak_ of a Father thinks he’s gonna find some poor man to marry you. He’ll have better luck selling you at a county fair.” Molly scoffed.

Riza remained quiet, biting her tongue. She _isn’t_ ready to announce to the world that she was in fact married now. Not that it mattered, her classmates would learn tomorrow at school from Jane why she wasn’t going to be coming back.

“Everything okay Reez?”

She turns around and sees Roy standing behind her, a paper sack in his arms, and she’s relieved that she can’t see his wedding ring with how he’s holding it. Riza nods, ignoring Molly.

“C’mon then. Time to get home.” He said, walking down the road with Riza following after him.

“See you around _freakazoid_.” Molly yells after Riza.

They’re halfway home before Roy speaks up about what he had overheard.

“So you wanna tell me what that was all about?” He asked her.

“That’s Molly. She’s just a bully. No big deal.” Riza shrugged.

“Riza, it _is_ a big deal. What’d she say to you?”

“She called me a freak, said my father would never succeed in finding me a husband. I just ignored her.”

“You didn’t tell her we are married?”

Riza shook her head no. “She and everyone else at school will learn from Jane tomorrow that we’re married.”

Roy frowned at her, bending down to kiss her forehead.

“I suppose no longer having to deal with her for eight hours a day, five days a week is the _only_ plus side to not going to school anymore.”

“Honestly, the only things about school I’ll miss are Jane and my teachers. Everyone else _sucks_.” Riza sighed.

They finally make it back home, walking through the front door. Riza takes the groceries from him and puts them away in the kitchen. She’s confused to see that the main reason why they even went to the store isn’t in the bag.

“Hey Roy? Where are the...” She trails off.

“I put them in my back pocket.”

_Thank God._

She walks back into the living room, a small smile on her face.

“What’s that look for?” Roy smirked at her.

“Do you wanna test out the preventatives?” Riza asked, her face flushing.

Roy grinned at her, leaning over to kiss her on the mouth. He puts his hands on her thighs, and Riza instinctively jumps to wrap her legs around his waist, as he carries her up the stairs.

“Please don’t drop me!” She begs between giggles and kisses.

* * *

Riza let out a happy coo, snuggling into Roy’s chest as he stroked her hair.

“Sex is nicer with a condom. I don’t have to focus so much on not finishing inside of you.” He sighed, kissing the top of her head.

“You know, my Father did tell you that you needed to study while he was gone.” Riza reminded him.

“I _am_ studying.” Roy cries defensively.

“Oh really? What have you been studying?” She asks.

“All the ways I can get my lovely wife to _scream_ my name.” He smirked, earning a playful smack to the chest.

“Grow up Roy.” She giggled, kissing his neck.


	3. Chapter 3

On Tuesday morning, Riza stepped outside the back door to find Roy chopping firewood with an ax. It’s only September, and winter isn’t anytime soon, but he’s going to be gone for at least the next two, and doesn’t want to Riza to get cold.

Because it isn’t fair for a fourteen year old girl to be chopping firewood when her own Father _can_ , but _won’t_ , chop it himself.

Riza can’t help but watch him as he swings down the ax. Even with a t-shirt on, she could see the muscles of his back and shoulders flex with each of his movements.

She feels her face flush as warmth pools between her legs. She’s glad she decided to wear a skirt today, as the motions of her rubbing her thighs together isn’t noticeable.

She quickly turns around to go back into the house, and goes up the stairs to his room. She grabs one of the foil wrappers that hold the preventatives, and slips it into her skirt pocket.

Feeling bold, Riza also slips her panties off, being completely _bare_ underneath her loose knee length skirt. Skipping back down the stairs, she enters the kitchen as Roy enters through the back door.

“Hey.” He said, wiping the sweat off his brow.

“Hi.” Riza smirked, sitting on the kitchen table and facing him. She reached out and grabbed him by the waist line of his jeans, pulling him to her. She tilted her head up and kissed him on the lips, letting out a content moan as he kissed her back.

“ _Mmm_ \- Riza, we _can’t_ do this _here_. You’re dad could be home any minute.” He groaned against her lips, as she unbuttoned his jeans.

“All the more reason for you to _hurry up_ then.” She smirked, her legs wrapping around his waist.

“Lemme go so I can go and get a condom.” Roy moaned, trying to free himself from her grip.

Riza gave him a shit eating grin, before taking out the foil wrapper and putting it in his hand. She moved her hands to unzip his jeans, pushing them and his boxers down his hips, freeing his erection.

Roy snaked his own hands up her skirt, expecting to feel the fabric of her panties, but let out a satisfied grunt when all he felt was her skin.

“Roy, you _really_ need to put the condom _on_.” She gasped in his ear, as he sucked on her neck.

Tearing open the small square package, he took the rubber out and rolled it onto his dick, pushing her skirt up as he sunk inside of her.

“ _Oh yes_.” She moaned, resting her head on his shoulder blade as he gripped her hips, sliding in and out of her.

“God dammit, you feel so _good_.” He grunted, pounding into her.

Normally he tried to make sex last as long as possible for them, but with Berthold coming home at an unknown time, they needed to hurry up and finish. It was bad enough he _heard_ them having sex on their wedding night, they didn’t want him to _see_ them having sex.

Roy moved one of his hands from her hipbones to her clit, rubbing it as he fucked her.

“ _Ohhh_!” Riza cried out, clenching him as she came. He let out a snarl as he bit down on her neck, his member twitching inside of her as he spilled his seed into the rubber confine.

Once they had both managed to catch their breaths, he slid out of her, removing the condom and disposing of it in the kitchen trash, burying it under the rubbish that was already in there so it wouldn’t be easily discovered by her Father.

“I thought _guys_ are supposed to be the ones that have a high sex drive? But you’ve practically been _insatiable_ all weekend.” Roy pointed out, pulling up his jeans.

“I think the term you’re looking for is _horny_.”

He simply shrugged. “I’m _not_ complaining.

“Go put your underwear back on before your Dad gets home.” He whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek.

* * *

Berthold arrived home at noon, while Riza was making lunch and Roy was studying Alchemy at the table.

“How was your trip, Sir?” Roy asked.

“Productive.” Berthold grunted.

“Would you like some lunch?” Riza spoke up, looking at him as she stirred the pot of macaroni and cheese.

He nodded. “I’ll eat in my study.” And with that, he left and walked up the stairs, leaving the newly weds alone.

Roy let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, standing up and walking up to Riza, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“It was nice it being just the two of us.” He frowned, kissing her cheek.

“It’ll be a few years, but we’ll be able to enjoy it again.” Riza cooed, leaning her head back to rest on his shoulder blade.

 _Assuming we’re not going to be parents in nine months._ They both thought.

“Hey Roy?”

“ _Hmm_?”

“Are there... other positions couples have sex in?”

“There’s a few that I know of. Why?”

“Could we possibly try one tonight?” She begged, turning her head and kissing his jaw.

“Not that I’m not enjoying having sex with you, but why are you always wanting to have sex? Last night after dinner, we _barely_ managed to make it back to bed.” Roy pointed out.

“Because you’re going to be gone for two years.” She frowned.

“So you basically wanna have two years worth of sex in... just under four weeks?”

“Three if I _do_ get my period before you go.” She shrugged, turning off the stove and going to get some bowls from the cabinet.

Roy stepped away from her, his eyes on her as she scooped up the macaroni, serving the three of them. Berthold got the most, followed by Roy, with Riza getting the _least_ amount of food.

That’s how she’d always done it, for every meal she’d made, she _always_ ate the least. _No wonder she’s so skinny!_ Riza left the kitchen, carrying the bowl of pasta up to Berthold’s study.

Riza knocked on her Father’s study, waiting for permission to enter.

“Come in.” He said lowly.

She entered, and placed the bowl in front of him. He eyed the pasta and scoffed.

“Mac and Cheese?” He asked. _That’s the best you can make?_ his tone said.

“It’s what Roy requested.” Riza answered him. _Hard to make anything nicer when funds are always low_.

“You can _go_ now.” Berthold ordered.

“Please eat this time, Papa.” Riza said softly.

“I need to concentrate on my research. Can’t be distracted by food.” He scoffed.

“But wouldn’t hunger pains be a worse distraction?” Riza asked him, and the look he gave her told her she _shouldn’t_ have asked that.

Berthold quickly stood up, and smacked Riza in the side of her head, nearly knocking her to the ground.

“I said get out. And stay out!” He snarled, and Riza wasted no time in leaving his study, shutting the door behind her. She quickly and quietly walked to the bathroom, hiding in the small room as she struggled to calm herself down.

If Roy even suspected that her Father had hit her, a war would break out in her Father’s study.

While she was gone, Roy went over to their bowls, scooping some of his lunch into hers, so that both bowls had an equal amount of food in them. He took their bowls, and set both of them at the table, sitting down to wait for Riza to come back down.

She came back five minutes later, and sat down in front of him without uttering a single word.

“What took you so long?”

“I had to wash my hands.” Riza said, picking up her fork. It was half the truth, she did wash her hands while she was in the bathroom.

“D-did you give me some of your lunch?” She asked.

“Yes.”

“W-why would you d-do that?” She stammered.

“Because you’re my wife. I view you as my _equal_ , despite you being raised to believe that I’m your _master_ or _owner_ or _whatever_. Because you’re my equal, we eat the same amount of food at mealtime.” He explained.

Riza couldn’t say anything. She just sat there and stared at him. He was about to ask her if she was okay, when she quickly stood up, walked to his side of the table, and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

“I don’t deserve someone as nice as you.” She mumbled into his neck.

“You deserve someone that treats you like you’re _human_ , Riza.” Roy said, hugging her back.

* * *

“How are you feeling?” Roy asked softly, stroking Riza’s back as she laid against his chest.

It was later that night, and they were both in his bed, staying quiet as they could so they wouldn’t disturb her Father while he was doing his research.

“Good. Didn’t realize being on top required me to do _so much work_.” She groaned, kissing his chest.

“Scary thing is, that one wrong move- from _either_ of us- could send me to the hospital.” Roy explained, chuckling nervously.

Riza quickly sat up, staring at him with wide eyes. Her mouth opened and closed several times, reminding Roy of a goldfish.

“Why would you even- you know what? _Nope_. I don’t wanna know why. Not know, not ever.” She said, shaking her head no.

He just laughed lightly at her, sitting up to kiss her.

“How many, you know, do we have left?” He asked her, kissing her jaw.

“And you said _my_ sex drive was insatiable.” She smirked.

“It _is_ , but so is my curiosity.”

Riza leaned over to the nightstand, opening the bottom drawer. She lifted up the false bottom, and couldn’t the little rubber squares the secret compartment kept hidden.

“Seven.”

“Damn. Gonna half to get more. With how you’ve been this weekend, that won’t last us more then a few days.” He groaned.

“More like a week. With my Father being back home, I’m not gonna be as, _wild_ , as I was when he was gone.” Riza sighed, climbing off of him to curl up against his chest.

“ _Hmm_ , true.” He agreed, folding his arms behind his head.

They decided to spend the rest of the night speaking.

The two of them talked about what kind of house they wanted to have when they moved out of her childhood home ( _smaller then the Hawkeye Manor and absolutely full of life_ ) whether or not they’d live on a military base ( _yes before becoming parents, no after they had children- assuming Riza wasn't already pregnant_ ) a more specific number to how many children they did want ( _at least two, preferably one of each, but no more then six_ ) if they wanted any pets ( _definitely a dog- dogs are the best, cats are too cranky and unpredictable_ ) and they also chose baby names for in case Riza was pregnant and gave birth while he was gone, wanting to do so when they were together and not over letters or a rushed phone call.

_“If we ever have a girl, can her middle name be Jane?”_

_“Of course, as long if we ever have a boy, he isn’t named after me.”_

_“Really? Most men want their first born son to be named after them. I would’ve been named after my Father if I had been a boy.”_

_“Good thing I’m not like that, huh?”_

The discussion of Riza’s possible pregnancy scared the hell out them. Normal newly weds wanted to start their family as soon as possible, and were disappointed when they didn’t conceive on their wedding night or their honeymoons.

_But Roy and Riza weren’t normal newly weds._

Their marriage was completely unconventional, starting out as being more of an ultimatum then a loving relationship.

It provided a safe and secure for Riza (both _emotionally_ and _financially_ , because despite Berthold’s disdain for the Military, they _did_ earn a decent paycheck- even more so if they were State Alchemists) and for Roy (while he would _never_ say so out loud to _anyone_ ) it almost guaranteed he’d one day earn the rights to the secrets of _Flame Alchemy_ , something he had been begging Berthold to teach him since he first walked into the house.

“Part of me doesn’t think I’m pregnant, but it’s still terrifying, having to wait.” Riza sighed.

“Tell me about it. I just hope we have an answer before I leave. I’ll be a nervous wreck otherwise.”

“That morning kinda scared me.”

“Because of how I reacted?” Roy frowned. He _hadn’t_ meant to scare her- he _never_ wanted to scare her.

“Because I liked how _it_ felt.”

 _Oh_.

“R-Really?” Roy gasped.

“ _Mmhmm_. I don’t know why, but the... warm feeling I got before you pulled out felt nice. Very nice, actually.” She blushed.

“Is that a bad thing?” Riza asked, sitting up to face him.

“No more so then me enjoying cumming inside of you before I remembered to pull out.” He chuckled nervously, covering his hands with his face.

Riza snorted, returning to cuddle against his chest.

“Something tells me that when we _do_ decide to try and have a baby, we’re going to have a _lot_ of _fun_.”

“Hey Riza?”

“Yes?”

“Do you... _hmmm_... do you know what happened to your Mom? You and your Dad never really discuss her.”

Riza was silent for a while, tracing circles with her finger on Roy’s chest, and for a moment he thought he had upset her.

“I don’t really know all the details. I just know that one winter me, her, and my Father all got _really_ sick. One after the other. I didn’t get it as bad as they did, but it affected my Mother the worst. She never... really recovered. I remember my Father wouldn’t let me go anywhere near her for weeks- he was probably afraid I’d catch it, because he told me once before you came here that he believes that what she died from and what me and him had were two different illnesses. Then one night, he let me in their room to tell her goodnight... She must’ve died during that night or the next day, because I don’t remember ever seeing her again.” Riza muttered.

“How old were you?” He frowned.

“I had just turned two. What about you, what happened to your parents?”

Roy exhaled through his nose, trying to remember all the details.

“I don’t know much about it, I wasn’t even one when it happened. All Aunt Chris ever told me was that it was because of a really bad automobile accident- _lots of casualties, not just my Mom and Dad_ \- and that she was glad it was _after_ they had dropped me with her, because she wanted to spend the day with her only and favorite nephew, and _not before_ they had dropped me off.” Roy explained.

“Wanna know what really scares me sometimes?” Riza asked.

“Dying young and leaving our children orphaned?” Roy asked.

“Yeah, but not just that. I’m scared my Mother’s fertility problems are _genetic_. Ever since I got my first period, my Father has brought it up in private multiple times. Apparently my Mother had difficulty _getting_ pregnant, and an even harder time _staying_ pregnant. She even had difficulties with her pregnancy with me. She spent the last ten weeks of her pregnancy on strict bed rest- and I was still born six weeks _early_! My Father said that she was pregnant _nine times_ before she died and all she had been able to give him was _one useless daughter_.” She groaned.

“I don’t think you’re useless, Riza. And I especially don’t think you’re useless just because you’re a girl.” Roy reassured her.

“You’re just saying that because you’re my husband and you don’t want me to be upset.”

“ _No_. I’m saying that because it’s the _truth_.” He hissed lowly.

He didn’t want to get into an argument about her over her low self esteem caused by her Father. He especially didn’t want to get into a _loud_ one with her. No need to get Berthold Hawkeye involved with their first marital spat.

“Whatever Roy.” She frowned, pulling away from him and rolling over, her back facing him.

“Yeah, whatever to you too.” He spat, turning away from her too, the both of them back to back.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s a part in this story (very short, only a couple of lines) that might be a TW for people, because it kinda implies marital rape. Some people might not think so, but I’d rather be safe then sorry. So there you go.

Riza woke up the next morning at dawn, still in a bad mood.

She turned and glared at Roy. She didn't need or want his sympathy or pity, not when they were just friends and definitely not now that they were married. Even though they were only on day four of being married, they'd woken up the other with warm embraces and butterfly kisses against skin, which lead to some form of intimacy before breakfast, usually with Roy's head nestled between her parted thighs.

_"Why are you so obsessed with- ohh!- having your head between my l-legs?"_

_"Because I love the way you taste."_

But this morning Riza didn't want any of that. Didn't want him to hold her, and most certainly didn't want his mouth anywhere on her. Glaring at Roy, whose back was facing her, her Father's words rang out in her head.

_As your wife, it's her job to be awake before you._

Shaking her head, she slowly and carefully climbed out of bed, having no desire to awaken her husband, grabbed the clothes she had laid out the night prior, dressed herself and left the bedroom to start coffee for Roy (tea for her and her Father) and breakfast.

_Might as well start being a decent and orderly wife._

Grimacing, Riza turned to walk towards her Father's room, and quietly tapped on the door. She heard grumbling and shuffling, and she braced herself in case he was still in a fowl mood from yesterday.

"What is it, Riza?" He groaned, opening the door just a crack.

"Would you like me to make your morning tea now or later?" She asked softly, eyes on the ground.

"What time is it?" He grumbled, more to himself then to his daughter, glancing behind him at the clock on his wall.

"Later." Berthold yawned. "I'll inform you when I want you to start it."

"Yes Father." Riza quickly nodded, turning to leave and go down to the kitchen.

* * *

As soon as Roy woke up, twenty minutes later, he knew today wasn't going to be a good day.

All he had done the night before was compliment her. No- _reassure_ her. Inform her that the _only_ person who thought of her as useless was her _jackass_ of a father. But she had snapped, and pushed him away, and he had essentially done the same thing to her.

_Idiot!_

He knew it was going to take him _months_ , if not _years_ , to get her out of the head space her childhood had put her in. To get it through to her that she was her own person, _not_ an object for her Father to mold and sculpt and break to his liking.

_We will not be giving our future children a childhood they have to spend their adulthood's recovering from._

Except that... Riza _wasn't_ an adult yet. Hell Roy was barely an adult himself! But Riza wouldn't be one herself for years. _She was still a teenager_. Barely a teenager, and already legally wed. She had only been fourteen since mid May, and yet here she was, barely a week into September, as someone's- _his_ \- wife. And unless her fears of inheriting her Mother's fertility problems were correct, she would experience motherhood before adulthood.

Roy knew he didn't want to spend the morning being angry at Riza. He didn't want her to be angry at him. So, before he rolled over to face her, he decided that he would treat her the same way she treated him. If she was affectionate and loving, he would be too. If she ignored him, he would ignore her.

_Equivalent exchange._

But when he rolled over, he was met with the sight of an empty bed. _Huh, I wonder when she got up?_ Frowning, he got dressed and went to the kitchen, where he hoped was where she'd be.

* * *

Riza decided to ignore Roy when he walked into the kitchen. Didn't say a word to him as entered the room with a yawn, scratching the back of his neck. She instead focused on making scrambled eggs for breakfast while he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Riza?"

They both tensed up slightly at the sound of her Father's voice from the top of the stairs. She quickly removed the pan from the stove before rushing to the bottom of the steps.

"Yes Father?" Riza asked.

"Start my tea now. I'll be in my study." He said, turning around and leaving.

"Yes sir."

She went back to the kitchen and served Roy his breakfast, sliding it in front of him without so much as acknowledging him, before going to start her Father's tea. _Black Tea with a teaspoon of honey, two teaspoons of sugar, and a splash of cream_. Riza always thought how her Father took his tea was _revolting_ , but it was how he had taken it her entire life, and she had been making it for him every morning since she was six years old.

Careful not to spill his tea or eggs, Riza carried the cup and plate up to her Father's study. When she came back, she stood by the stove, eating her now cold scrambled eggs at the counter, her back to Roy.

Frowning, he got up and walked silently walked towards her, turning her around and putting his hands flat on the counter, trapping her between himself and the cabinetry. He decided to ignore the way she tensed up, choosing instead to rest his forehead on her shoulder, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

A thousand thoughts raced through Riza's mind, as she remembered the words her Father had used growing up, before he had chosen Roy to be her husband- long before he even became her Father's apprentice- as he had prepared her for her future as a married woman.

_As a wife, you are to always submit yourself to your husband. You are to give yourself to him, when he wants you, how he wants you, and where he wants you. It does not matter if you are in the mood. When it comes to martial relations, your husband is to never- ever- hear the words no or stop escape your lips ._

So Riza prepared herself, prepared for Roy to take her then and there in the kitchen, even though she definitely was _not_ in the mood. It wouldn't have been the first time they decided to have sex in the kitchen, they'd done so barely twenty four hours prior.

But Roy _didn't_ initiate sex. He made _zero_ effort to touch her sexually. The _only_ physical contact she received from him was his forehead on her shoulder blade.

"I'm _sorry_ for what I said last night." He mumbled, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I didn't mean for what I said to upset you."

"I'm sorry for how I reacted. I just... don't want your _pity_... " She sighed, hugging him back.

Roy quickly pulled away from her, opening his mouth to speak, before quickly closing it again. _Think before you speak, don't make things worse._

"I didn't... I didn't mean to make it come out sounding like pity." He told her, resting their foreheads together.

Unsure of what to say, Riza simply tilted her chin up to peck him gently on lips.

"How about, in the future, if either of us says something to upset the other, we say something about it? No more going to sleep angry." He suggested.

"No more going to sleep angry." She agreed, smiling at him.

Roy was about to kiss her again, when Riza tensed up, and pushed him away from her. He was concerned, but before he could voice his worries, she was out of the kitchen in long strides, her footsteps racing up the stairs.

Perhaps she had heard her Father and he hadn't?

Riza quickly entered the bathroom, hiked up her skirt, and pulled her underwear down to her knees, trying not to cry out in relief at what she had saw.

 _Red_.

 _Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!_ She screamed inside her head. She pulled her underwear up, fixed her skirt, and quickly walked down the hall to get herself her sanitary cloths and a new pair of underwear.

She returned to the kitchen, ten minutes later, with a wide smile on her face.

"Everything okay?" Roy asked. He was so worried about her. Scared he had done something wrong, that he had said something to upset her. It made Riza as happy as getting her period did. She walked up to him and through her arms around his neck.

"I'm _not_ pregnant. " She whispered in his ear, kissing his cheek.

"Are… are you _s-sure_?" Roy stuttered.

"I am _v_ _ery_ sure."

 _Oh thank God_.

* * *

Despite Riza's pain and moodiness caused by her period, they spent the rest of the week quite happy, making random conversations and jokes with each other while Roy studied and Riza did housework.

It was a bit strange at night for Riza, sleeping next to Roy fully clothed instead of nude like she had been. He didn't seem to mind, he still snuggled up to her every night, his arms wrapped around her waist as she scrunched up in pain.

"Do you not have _any_ pain medicine?" Roy mumbled in her ear, as she let out a whimper of pain from her cramps.

"No. F-Father s-says I have _n-no need_ for- _ow_ \- them." Riza whined.

"Bastard." He growled under his breath. "Do you have a hot water bottle?"

Riza shook her head _no_.

"Have I mentioned that I _despise_ your old man?" He asked.

She couldn't help but let out a small laugh, as she fought back the tears her cramps caused her. "Nearly every day since he decided it was time for me to become a wife."

Roy sighed, kissing her temple. "You should be in _school_ , not being a wife. Why is your Dad so against you continuing your education."

"It's not just him. Married women need permission from their Husband's to further their education. And- _ow_ \- since we still live here, even if you _did_ give me permission to continue going to school, it wouldn't matter. He'd still stop me or he'd kick us both out. Or worse, he'd terminate- _ah_ \- our marriage." Riza explained through whimpers and hisses of pain.

If their marriage ever ended in divorce, it would _ruin_ Riza's future. Because they had consummated their marriage, she was no longer considered _pure_. And even if they hadn't, future potential husbands would deem that something was _wrong_ with her because she was divorced. Only widows were successful in marrying a second time.

"How do you not know these things?" She asked him curiously.

"Central City is clearly much more progressive then other parts of the country. Then again, you're technically the only married woman I know." Roy explained.

"But you know what, as soon as we have our own place, you _are_ continuing your education. You don't have to go to university if you don't want to, but you deserve to have an education higher then what you have."

"B-But what if we have kids?" Riza stammered.

"We'll figure it out when we get there." He cooed, kissing her cheek as he pulled her closer to him.

* * *

The day they both dreaded had finally arrived. Roy was leaving early in the morning. They were sad, snuggling each other in bed, not wanting to say goodbye.

“It’s going to be so strange, not seeing you here anymore. You’ve been here every day for four years.” Riza pouted.

“It’s gonna be weird waking up in a new place. I’m going to miss you so damn much.” Roy sighed, pecking her lips with kisses. He rolled her over on to her back, kissing every inch of her neck.

“ _Oh_.” She moaned softly, as he moved further south, sucking on one of her nipples, while his fingers pinched the other one.

“Y-you’re _not_ gonna let me sleep tonight, are you?” She gasped.

“Nope.” He smirked against her breast.

“But I’ll be too tired to walk with you to the train station.”

“I don’t want you to walk with me there.”

His statement made Riza frown, and she pushed him away from her breast to look at him with sad eyes.

“Why not?”

“Because my train leaves at five am. I don’t want you walking home _alone_ in the _dark_. _Anything_ could happen to you. As much as I would love for you to come with me, I’d rather you stay here and be safe.” Roy told her, kissing the valley between her breasts.

“I understand.” She hummed, sighing in content as his mouth moved lower.

“Something tells me you’re going to spend most of the night between my legs.”

“Of course. I’m not going to be able to enjoy my favorite snack for a few years.” He smirked, sucking on her thighs, leaving love bites all over her flesh.

“Do guys in Central normally spend their nights with their head between a girls legs?” Riza giggled softly, gasping as his lips kissed her womanhood.

“I suppose some do. I’ve never done it to anyone besides you before.”

She let out a groan as two of his fingers dipped inside of her and his tongue circled her clit, her legs resting across his back, as her fingers clutched his hair.

“ _Hmmm_!” She moaned, biting down on her free hand to keep quiet.

_There’s no way he’s never done this before! It feels too good for him to be inexperienced!_

Riza let out an unhappy whine when Roy pulled away from her.

“See if we have any condoms left.” He requested, untangling her legs from his shoulders scooting back away from her.

Riza rolled over onto her stomach, and rummaged through the drawer, holding her breath as she searched.

“Last one.” She told him, sighing with relief.

Riza rolled back over on to her back, only to find herself back on her stomach just as quickly.

“What are you-?”

“ _Shh_ , I wanna try something.” He whispered in her ear.

Her mouth opened in a silent gasp as Roy positioned her body how he wanted it. Her upper body rested flat against the mattress, while her legs were bent at the knees underneath her, forcing her rear end and womanhood to be slightly up in the air.

“May I have the condom, love?” He cooed, kissing her spine where it rested between her shoulder blades.

Riza handed the last preventative to him, exhaling slowly as she heard the foil tear open. She felt the tip of his member press against her opening, as he leaned down over her, his chest against her back.

“I’ve heard from my sisters that this position can cause pain and discomfort. If that happens, _please_ let me know and I’ll turn you back over. Okay?” He murmured, his breath against her cheek.

“Okay.”

Roy gripped her hipbones with his hands before sinking into her. Riza bit down on to her pillow and let out a groan.

“Are you alright?” Roy asked, pulling halfway out of her, worried the noise was from pain.

“Y-Yes.” She gasped.

“Do you want me to continue?”

“ _Please_!”

Roy moved his hands to either side of Riza’s torso, fisting the sheets as slid in and out of her. He placed his forehead between her shoulder blades, grunting and groaning as he thrust inside of her, each of his movements causing little moans and whines of pleasure to escape Riza’s lips.

“So _g-good_.” She moaned, folding her arms so she could rest her cheek against them.

The position Roy had her in allowed Riza to feel him deeper than normal. There was some slight pain with each of his thrusts, but it didn’t hurt her anymore then losing her virginity had. If anything, the pain made her _enjoy_ this position even more.

“ _More_.” She begged him, arching her back up in desperation.

He slid one of his hands to between her legs, rubbing and pinching her clit. Riza quickly grabbed her pillow, biting into it and moaning loudly.

“So c-close.” Roy grunted in her ear, slamming into her.

Riza was practically screaming into the pillow as her orgasm hit her, letting out soft whines and whimpers of pleasure as her walls clenched him. Roy stilled his hips and let out a groan as his own orgasm came, and Riza could feel him twitching while he was inside of her.

“Roy?” Riza gasped, taking her pillow out of her mouth.

“Yes?” He asked, panting as he tried to catch his breath.

“My l-legs are starting to cramp up.” She whined.

He pulled out of her, slowly so he wouldn’t accidentally break the condom while still inside of her, and once he was completely out of her, quickly sat up to unbend her legs. Once Riza’s legs were completely unbent, he climbed out of bed to dispose of the used rubber.

Riza rolled over on to her back, staring at Roy’s backside as he threw away the condom.

She sat up on her elbows and stared at him, lust in her eyes. _My husband has such a cute ass_. And then, for the first time in a month, it actually hit her.

_Roy was her husband._

He had been her husband for just a few days shy of a month. He was no longer just the smooth talking city boy that was desperate to learn Alchemy. He wasn’t just her friend and long term house guest anymore. They were married, legally bound. She was going to spend the rest of her life with this ridiculously charming and handsome goofball.

And one day, years from then, she would become the mother of his children.

_Holy shit._

“Whatcha thinking about?” His voice snapped her out of her trance.

“ _You_ have a _nice_ butt.” She said simply, causing him to groan in embarrassment, his face turning red.

“Yours is _nicer_.” He snorted, climbing into bed as Riza turned off the lamp beside her.

“I’m gonna miss you.” She yawned, snuggling up to his chest.

“I’m going to miss you more.” He replied, kissing the top of her head.

* * *

When Roy woke up, Riza was laying on her stomach, no longer snuggled up to him.

He didn’t want to say goodbye to her, didn’t want to leave her behind. But he had to. He had a dream he wanted to fulfill, one he never got around to mentioning to Riza. And he knew that Riza would blame herself if Roy didn’t join the Military.

Because while she _didn’t_ know the _exact_ reason for why he had joined, she _did_ know that he wanted to get the two of them the _hell out_ of her small town. Being a solider guaranteed that- the Army would tell them where they were going to live. The closest military base to her hometown was a two and a half hour train ride, followed by an hour car ride away.

As soon as he came home, they would be _free_.

Getting out of bed, he quietly got dressed, and made sure he had everything he needed picked away in his duffel bag. He had to get going soon, but he couldn’t help but watch Riza’s sleeping form.

He walked over to her, pulling the covers up from her hips to her shoulders. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but part of him felt it was too early to tell her.

But at the same time, Roy didn’t want to wait two years to say it, nor did he want to do it over a quick phone call or a letter.

_Best to say it now while she’s still asleep._

He leaned down over her, kissed her hair, and whispered “ _I love you_.” before standing back up and grabbing his duffel.

He was halfway out the bedroom, and almost didn’t hear her mumbled response.

“ _I love you too_.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The one positive thing about being quarantined due to Covid-19 is that I'm able to spit out chapters to stories every day or two, because I'm not working, have zero kids, and have nothing better to do.

The first few weeks Roy was gone had Riza in a slump. She was out of school, so she couldn’t leave the house or talk to Jane, and Roy wasn’t there anymore, so she only had her Father to conversate with.

Who was about as talkative as the wallpaper in his study.

So her only companions at the Hawkeye Manor were the six chickens it took her a month and a half to convince her Father to get, saying they’d save a lot of money on eggs, seeing as the general store charged the same amount of money for a dozen eggs that Farmer Greyson was for six female chicks.

Of course she didn’t tell her Father that the fair price on the chickens was because she agreed to tutor Farmer Greyson’s granddaughter Lilah in math, but that didn’t matter.

“Hello ladies.” Riza said glumly, tossing them food, that they gladly pecked at, while she went to the coop to gather eggs.

Six brown eggs, the same amount she was able to get every afternoon.

 _This was her life now_. Fourteen years old and the wife of a solider. Most would think being married to a solider would be exciting. And yet, she was more bored and lonely now then ever before.

Maybe she should’ve considered Roy’s request to go to Central to live with his family while he was gone? At least then she’d have someone to talk to, even if they’d all be strangers.

But it was _too late_ for that. Their little accident the morning after their wedding _hadn’t_ produced Roy an heir, so she had no excuse to go to Central. Besides, her Father needed her.

 _He wouldn’t last a week without her_.

The thought of having children scared her. It wasn’t that Riza didn’t want any children- she _did_. She _wasn’t_ kidding when she told Roy she wanted _lots_ of babies. She was scared about what their future family would be like. Would she be able to make society view her as a proper wife, and give him a lot of sons? Or would she be like her Mother, and struggle to produce one daughter? She knew Roy didn’t care about the genders of their offspring. He told her that himself, he’d be happy either way.

But the rest of the country wasn’t like Roy.

Most of them- especially the generations older then her and Roy's- viewed women as _property,_ first to their Fathers and then to their Husbands. Their value wasn’t in brains or brawn. It was in how many _male_ heirs she succeeded in giving her husband. A woman with a poor husband and all sons was better accomplished then a woman with a rich husband and all daughters.

And a woman who died delivering a _son_ was mourned greater then a woman who died delivering a _daughter_.

_What a truly disgusting society we live in._

* * *

Roy was gone for a month when she received his first letter.

Hearing from him made her heart sing, since while he did get a five minute phone call every other Thursday, no one was able to make a phone call for the first six months. The only reason why letters were allowed from the beginning was for in case a member of their family died while they were away.

After receiving the letter from the postman, she slipped it into her apron pocket, and continued her daily chores. She’d be able to read it later, after her Father had gone to sleep and she didn’t have housework to do.

So with the letter tucked away safely, she swept and mopped the kitchen, did a load of dishes, gathered the eggs, dusted the furniture, made her Father dinner and a cup of tea, and put the chickens away in their coop, triple checking that all six were away and that the coop was locked up tightly so foxes or raccoons couldn’t get to them.

Once all of those things were completed, and she made sure her Father didn’t want or need anything, she quietly went to her and Roy’s bedroom (just hers since he was gone) and locked the door. Letting out a happy sigh, she pulled the letter out of her pocket and tore it open.

_Riza,_

_How are things going there since I’ve been gone? I doubt your Father has given you much conversation, and for that I’m sorry._

_I won’t sugar coat it: Boot Camp is grueling. It’s been two weeks and I’m just now getting the chance to write you. Hopefully it won’t take too long for you to get this._   
_I’ve already met someone I dislike. His name is Maes Hughes. He stole my spinach quiche. The food here is disgusting, and the quiche is the only thing that can be considered decent. And when I was reaching out to grab the LAST ONE, he swooped in and took it. Bastard._

_I miss you, darling. I mean, I knew I would miss you. I just never realized how much. It’s going to be a very long two years Riza. This really sucks. But hey, five and a half more months and I’ll be able to hear your voice. I look forward to being able to speak to you, even if it isn’t face to face._

_I have to go now. I love you so much._

_Yours, Roy_

  
Riza smiled at the letter. He missed her, just as much as she missed him. The feeling that it gave her was nice. Riza took his letter and hid it in the secret compartment where they had hidden the condoms. She didn’t think her Father would take his letters, seeing as Roy was her husband, but she didn’t want to risk it.  
Grabbing a sheet of paper and a pencil, she began to write a letter of her own.

  
_Roy,_

_I’m sorry Boot Camp is so tough, but it makes sense. Soldiers are supposed to be tough and strong._

_As for your letter, it got here on Saturday, November 1st. Assuming that the two week travel period is a normal occurrence and not a one time thing, you should be hopefully getting this letter by no later then December 4th or 5th, seeing as mail doesn’t run on Sunday._

_I miss you too. It’s so boring here. My Father hasn’t spoken to me much, which I suppose is better then him being outwardly cruel to me. Since you only get a phone call every two weeks, perhaps it would be fair to your Aunt and sisters to call them every other time. They deserve to hear your voice too._

_I’m sorry that that Maes fellow stole your quiche, even though I don't exactly know what that is. I mean, I know it’s food, obviously. But that’s as far as my knowledge of it goes. Personally, assuming that I’m pronouncing the word in my head correctly, it sounds like the sound you make when you’re going to throw up._

_I wish I had more to write to you, but my life lately has been as bland as yours has been hectic. I love you so much._

_Yours, Riza_

  
She folded up the paper, put it in an envelope, wrote the address for the base camp Roy had sent his letter from, and carefully hid it away so hat it wouldn’t get lost or damaged, and waited for when Monday came and she’d be able to mail it to him.

* * *

Roy read her letter with a smile on his face. True to her prediction, it arrived for him on December 3rd, three months to the day after they got married.

He mentally laughed when he got to the quiche part. She was so _adorable_. Even if their marriage didn’t begin in a conventional way, he was so lucky to have her.

“Yo Mustang, we’re heading into town to the local pub, maybe pick up a chick or two. Care to join?”

Roy looked up to see a few of his fellow cadets standing in front of him. He could see Maes Hughes standing in the back, slightly off to the side, almost as if he didn’t really want to join in on the fun.

The one that spoke, Dodson if he remembered his name correctly, had a huge smirk on his face.

“No thank you. I don’t pick up chicks.” Roy responded, folding up Riza’s letter and shoving it into his pocket.

“What are you, _gay_?” Another man, Broderick, asked.

“No...” Roy started, sending a glare to the group. “I’m _not_ gay, I just have better things to do with my time and energy then to _cheat_ on my _wife_.”

“ _You’re married_?” The group, save for Maes, all yelped in shock. The looks they all had told Roy that they didn’t believe him.

Roy pulled his dog tags out from under his shirt, holding them up by the chain, allowing them to see the thin gold band he’d slipped on to the chain.

“Alright Mustang!” Maes cheered.

“Whatever. Let us know if you change your mind. What your girl _doesn’t_ know _won’t_ hurt her.” Dodson scoffed, turning to walk away, Broderick and the others following.

Maes was the only one that stayed.

“How come you’ve never mentioned being married before?” He asked Roy, sitting on the bottom bunk across from him.

“Because it’s still _new_ , and we got married under... certain circumstances.” Roy sighed, taking a sip from his water.

“Did you knock her up?”

_Cue water being spat everywhere._

“Not _those_ circumstances!” He yelped.

“Okay so why’d you get married?” Maes asked, sounding serious.

Roy let out a sigh, sitting up in his bunk. “Before I tell you anything, you need to not freak out. About anything. Understood?”

“I understand.” Maes promised, holding his hand up. “Now start, I won’t say a thing until you’re done.”

“She’s... younger then me. Then us. Her Father was my Alchemy teacher. I lived with them from the time I was fourteen, to when I came here two months ago. Back in late July, he decided that it was time for her to get married. Which, is apparently completely normal in her backwater hometown. So for the next month, scum after scum would show up while she was at school. All of them older then us. Most of them were in their thirties. They talked about her like she was livestock. It was wrong. So one day I told my Teacher what I thought of the situation, how it was cruel to her. And keep in mind that he’s always been a complete asshole to her. Wanna know what his response was?” Roy scoffed.

“What?”

“ _If you want her, take her_. So I _did_. I decided that being married to me, someone she’s known for four years, was better then being married to a stranger that’s nearly forty. He told me that on August 30th and we got married September 3rd.” He sighed.

“Jesus Christ, man. Are you at least _happy_?”

“Very. I never thought I’d be this happy this soon. But damn do I miss her.” Roy whined.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how old is she? You said she’s younger then us, and we’re only eighteen.”

Roy let out a loud groan, laying back down on his mattress.

“That’s the really bad part!”

“It can’t be that bad.” Maes scoffed.

“She’s _fourteen_.”

“ _Holy shit_! She’s barely a teenager and her Father married her off? No wonder you were so worried about her if she married a stranger.” Maes groaned, removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Yeah.”

“I gotta give you props for staying faithful. Most of the guys here aren’t married, but the ones with girlfriends aren’t making an effort to stay true to their girls.” He scoffed.

“I had to leave her behind, Hughes, she’s still living with her crappy Dad, because he’s borderline senile and won’t do basic tasks for himself like make him food to eat. She’s going to be there, _alone_ , for two years. The _least_ I can do for her is to not screw around behind her back.” Roy groaned.

“What about her Mom?”

“Died when she was two. Got really sick. Don’t know from what, but from what little I’ve heard about it, I’m guessing pneumonia.”

“Damn. So what’s her name?” Maes asked, trying to lighten up the topic.

“Riza. I mean, technically it’s Elizabeth, but I learned very early on not to call her that without her say so. So she’s Riza to me.” He explained.

With that being said, he reached under his mattress and pulled out a photo, handing it to Maes, a smile on his face.

“It’s an old photo, we were eleven and fifteen when it was taken, but it’s the only picture I’ve got of her.” Roy explained.

Maes stared at the photo, studying it. He recognized Roy almost immediately, the man was probably born with his hair having that messy style. But he studied Riza. She was in a brown overall style dress, a pale yellow sweater, white stockings, and black Mary Janes. She was being held in the air by Roy, who had his arms wrapped around her waist as he stood behind her, kissing her cheek, with a wide smile on her face.

“She’s cute.” Maes told him, handing back the photo.

“She is. I can’t wait to see her again.”

* * *

Five and a half months after Roy had left, Riza came home from the general store one afternoon to find her Father waiting at the bottom of the staircase.

“F-Father? Is everything alright?” Riza stuttered, righting her hold on the bag of groceries.

“Yes, Everything is fine, Riza. I was curious to know if you’d like to assist me with my research. I could really use your help, it’s important.” Berthold told her, giving her a small smile.

 _Help? He wants MY help?_ Riza couldn’t believe it. Her Father wanted to spend time with her. He needed her to help him with his research. Berthold Hawkeye, who almost never gave her the time of day, who yelled at her when she couldn’t understand Alchemy when he tried to teach it to her the one and only time at the age of six, _needed_ her. For once, he saw her as being _more_ then just a cook and a maid.

“Oh, okay. Sure. When do we start?” Riza asked, smiling back at him.

“Tonight. After dinner.” Berthold answered, giving her a curt nod, before walking back up the stairs.

“See you tonight!” Riza called after him, not realizing that agreeing to his request would be the _biggest mistake_ of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The picture of Roy and Riza was drawn by B.Griveros over on Tumblr. I did not draw it, I will not sit here and claim that I did. Hopefully they don't get upset over me describing it in this story. Here is a (hopefully not broken) link to the picture
> 
> https://b-griveros.tumblr.com/post/181912701888/old-sketchie-painted-in-procreate-send-strenght
> 
> Please let me know if the link does not work. Thank you.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in the same day? If this isn't proof I have no life, I do not wanna know what is.

Roy was worried. Riza hadn’t called him yesterday during the time frame they had been given.

It was his second phone call the Academy had given him, the first they both agreed would go to Madam Christmas, and she didn’t call him.

Maybe she forgot the day? Perhaps her Father was in a mood and she wasn’t able to go into town? Or maybe the weather was bad and she had to stay home? A million thoughts and explanations ran through his mind, and none of them really gave Roy any comfort.

“She not call you?” Maes asked, sitting next to him.

“No. I know it’s probably nothing, but I’m worried.” Roy sighed, sipping the dirt water the cafeteria struggled to pass off as coffee.

_I wonder if their tea is any better?_

“She’s your wife, man. You’re _supposed_ to worry about her. When’s the last letter you got from her?”

“Ten days ago. I sent my reply a week ago. Unfortunately, because of how far away she is, it’s going to take another week for her to get my letter, and two weeks for me to get the one she sends me. So I’m not gonna hear from her for at _least_ three more weeks.” Roy said solemnly.

“Relax, Roy. She’s fine. There’s nothing to worry about. Riza is okay.” Maes reassured him, smacking the shorter man’s back with an open palm.

* * *

_Riza was not okay._

She laid in her childhood bad, on her stomach, her back exposed, her breath labored from the pain. Her Father had _tricked_ her- _used_ her. He didn’t want her _help_ , he wanted to be a _human notebook_. And like an _idiot_ , she agreed.

_Roy’s right. He is a bastard._

Speaking of Roy, that’s what made the... _tattoo_... her Father had carved into her skin worst. Not because he wasn’t there to save her, but because of what her Father said to her when he was finished.

_“You better not tell that boy about this. Just because he’s earned the rights to you, doesn’t mean he’s earned the rights to my research.”_

It took twenty six hours for the tattoo to be completed. Her Father worked non stop, only giving her a break if wanted a cup of tea, which, for the first time in over eight years, he made himself. Riza spent the rest of the month in bed, Berthold giving her round the clock care to make sure she- _no, his work_ \- was okay.

She didn’t even know what the tattoo on her back looked like, just that it was his secrets to Flame Alchemy.

It was the entire reason why Roy had even come to their house. And as his wife, she wasn’t allowed to tell him.

 _Father will never allow Roy to take me away from here. His notes are too valuable to him. That’s why he did this, so I could help keep them safe. I’m going to spend the rest of my life in this godforsaken house with an awful Father in a backwards minded town. Roy will never allow our children to grow up here with Father around, so that’s that. No starting a family of our own. The entire town is going to think I’m barren and useless._ Riza thought bitterly, barely able to fight back her tears.

She didn’t even realize she had missed her phone call with Roy until two days after it was supposed to happen.

“He must think the worst of me.” She whispered to herself. _Hopefully I’ll be able to make the next phone call._

She would have to come up with an excuse as to what happened before then.

* * *

Roy let out the biggest sigh of relief when he got his next letter from Riza.

  
_Roy,_

_I’m so so so sorry I missed our phone call. I got sick on Wednesday, and I didn’t get better until early Sunday. I’m sorry for worrying or upsetting you, I hope you can forgive me. I was really looking forward to hearing your voice again, too._

_I really miss you. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. If anything, being away from you is making me more depressed._

_We’ve made it over half a year. Just a little under eighteen more months to go. I love you so very much._

_Yours, Riza_

  
“That from Riza?” Maes asked, sitting next to him.

“Yep. She got sick the Wednesday before our phone call day, didn’t get better until Sunday.” He exhaled.

“See? I told you!”

“Hey Hughes, you got a girl writing you letters?” Roy asked.

“Nah. Not unless you count my Mother. Can’t wait to have what you have. I look forward to coming home to a wife and a kid or two. Hey, you and Riza plan on having kids? You’ve never mentioned it.”

“Mhm. Riza wants a _lot_ of kids. I’m talking like five or six, if not more. One of the things we’re _both_ looking forward to when I get back is getting our own place, so we can start our own family.” Roy grinned, putting the letter in his pocket.

“Surprised you didn’t start the baby making on the honeymoon.” Maes smirked, clearly joking.

Roy rolled his eyes. “You know how old she is. Too young to be going through the horrors of childbirth. Besides, I don’t want any child of mine being in the same house as her Father. I wouldn’t trust that man alone with a house plant, much less a child- especially if it’s _my_ child.” He spat out in annoyance.

“With how you’ve described him, it doesn’t surprise me you feel that way.”

* * *

Riza was able to get up and walk around four days before her and Roy’s next phone call was scheduled.

With her bedroom door shut and locked, she went through her shirts and dresses. Because of her tattoo, she would no longer be able to wear certain articles of clothing anymore.

She held up her favorite top, a simple dark green tank top, nothing fancy, but oh so comfy. _Can’t wear this anymore_. A light purple sundress with a with a low collar and no sleeves. _Not an option for me anymore_. But when Riza got to her wedding dress, she wanted to slump to the floor in sobs.

The _nicest_ dress she owned, the one she wore on the _happiest_ day of her life, and she could _never_ wear it _again_.

By the time she was done, more then half of her shirts and dresses weren’t an option anymore. Even some of her cardigans wouldn’t be allowed anymore.

All because her Father _used her_.

Riza was now forced to dress even more conservatively then she already did. She hardly ever showed any skin, but she had to cover even more now.

_I hope when Father leaves this world, he leaves suffering._

* * *

“Is Roy Mustang available?” Riza spoke to the receptionist on the other end of the phone.

“ _I’ll summon him, ma’am. Give me a moment, please_.” The man said. Riza waited for a few moments, trying to steady her breath.

 _I will not start crying when I hear him. I will not start crying when I hear him._ She chanted mentally.

“ _Hello?_ ” She heard Roy asked

“Hey.” Riza answered.

“ _Riza! How have you been?_ ” He asked excitedly. Riza could practically hear him smiling.

“Good. I’m so sorry I missed our call.” She frowned.

“ _It’s okay. Not your fault you got sick._ ” He reassured her.

“You got my letter?” Riza asked.

“ _Yeah, a few weeks ago. You should get mine in a week_.”

“Thank God, I was worried it would get to you late. I didn’t want to worry you any more then I already did.” She sighed.

“Riza, you’re my wife. I’m always going to worry about you.”

Riza let out a snort. “I love you, you know that?” She said, struggling not to cry.

“Well good, because I love you too.” He must’ve heard her sniffle, because his tone changed with his next statement.

“ _Hey are you crying, Riza?_ ”

“Trying not to.” Riza said honestly. “I didn’t realize how much I missed hearing your voice until I actually got to hear it again. I’m going to be a complete and utter mess when you finally come home.” She laughed.

“ _I doubt I’m going to be any better._ ” He laughed back at her.

“ _I’ve got to go sweetheart. Target practice starts soon. I love you so much._ ”

“I love you more.”

 _Click_.

Riza walked back home in _tears_.

* * *

Riza saw it as a blessing in disguise, the fact that her Father’s health took a turn for the worst on her fifteenth birthday.

 _Karma sucks you asshole_.

She was hopeful, optimistic, that he would pass on not too long after Roy returned home. Then maybe they could have the family of their own they had wanted and were so excited to have. Riza decided that the day her Father was dead in the ground, would be the day she showed Roy his secrets, what he had done to her back while he had been away.

Hopefully he _wouldn't_ blame _himself_. Or _her_.

“Riza?” She heard Berthold hell groggily from his bedroom. She hadn’t seen stepped foot into his study since the tattoo been completed.

“Yes?” Riza asked, entering the room.

“Make me some tea.” He ordered.

“I’ll get started on it right away.” She nodded.

“How are you feeling?” Berthold asked her.

 _Like you even care._ The voice inside her head scoffed.

“I’m fine.” She answered, quickly leaving the room to make his tea.

Black Tea with a teaspoon of honey, two teaspoons of sugar, and a splash of cream. _I wonder if he’d notice if I replaced the cream with rat poison?_ She pondered, quickly shaking the thought from her head. _Let’s revisit that idea when it’s closer to the day Roy returns home. Then again, the old man might not even last that long._ The voice added, her inner monologue no longer referring to Berthold as her Father.

She walked back up the stairs and placed the tea on the table beside his bed, as he coughed loudly into his handkerchief. Riza found herself staring at him, and he noticed this.

“What’s on your mind?” He asked her.

“Do you have what Mother died from?” She replied, without missing a beat.

If Berthold was taken aback by her question, he didn’t show it.

“I doubt it. Few of my symptoms are the same as hers were, and she... didn’t make it as long as I have...” He frowned, staring down, unable to even look at her face, much less in the eyes.

“Okay.” Riza shrugged, turning on her heel and leaving the room.

Before she managed to close the door, Berthold’s voice rang out behind her.

“That boy had better _not_ know about my research and where it is.” He said sternly.

Riza let out an audible scoff, and turned to face him, her hand still clutching the doorknob.

“If Roy knew what you had done to me, _his wife_ , he would’ve come back here to _slaughter_ you himself long before you ever got whatever sickness it is you have that I hope and pray ends up one day _killing_ you.” She spat at him, venom in her voice.

Before Berthold could even open his mouth, Riza had shut his bedroom door, locking it from the outside to ensure her safety.

_He can be alone for the rest of the day, just as I have been for most of my life._

* * *

_Riza,_

_Happy Sixteenth Birthday, my love!_

_Okay, I know your birthday is May 13th, and technically it’s March 22nd when I’m writing this, but last year my happy birthday letter showed up a week late. So hopefully this letter gets to you in time._

_Is your Dad doing any better? You didn’t say so on our last phone call. Hopefully he hasn’t died. As much as I look forward to the day you are finally free from him, I’d rather he pass away when I’m there with you. I don’t want you to deal with that, not alone at least._

_I know that makes me sound kind of insensitive, but we both know by now how I feel about him._

_Hard to believe it’s been nearly eighteen months since I’ve left. Roughly six more months and I’ll be able to see you in person again. I look forward to that moment every day, and have been since I had to leave. I hope I never have to be away from you for this long again._

_I love you so damn much._

_Yours, Roy_

  
_Roy,_

_Thank you for the birthday wish, your letter arrived on April 28th, with plenty of time to spare._

_My Father is, sadly, doing okay. I don’t know how long he’ll last. I don’t think he’ll go before you arrive home, but I doubt he’ll survive long after that._

_I think the most frustrating part is that no one knows what’s wrong with him. Dr. McCowl, my friend Jane’s Father, has checked on him multiple times since he got ill nearly a year ago. He doesn’t have a clue what it is._

_He was kind enough to provide some medicine for him in exchange for two dozen eggs, in hopes of providing some relief._

_I don’t know if it helps any. If I’m being honest, I don’t frankly care._

_I love you so much too._

_Yours, Riza_

* * *

Roy was excited. He’d be home soon. Home to Riza. Just a few more weeks, and he’d be able to hold her, and hug her, and kiss her.

“When is Riza expecting you home?” Maes asked, as they shot at their targets.

“October 6th.”

“But... you should be home by October 2nd...” Maes said, not even hiding his confusion.

“Yep. I want to surprise her.” Roy grinned.

“Does she like surprises?”

“Not huge ones, like surprise parties or shit like that. Probably because of her Father. But I know she’ll _love_ this one.”

“How’s her Dad doing by the way?”

“Worst. Half the time he isn’t conscious. He’s lucky if he gets a good hour a week. He’s been bed ridden for months. And the doctor still has no clue what’s wrong with him.” He told his best friend.

“I’m surprised he’s lasted this long.” Maes mumbled.

“So am I. So is Riza by the sounds of it. I don’t think he’ll be around by the time I get home. He certainly won’t make it to the new year.”

* * *

Riza was giving her Father his medicine when the knocking at the door started.

Rolling her eyes, she ignored it. She was busy.

“You gonna answer that?” Berthold wheezed.

“I’m busy. You need your medicine. If it’s important, they can either wait or return later.” She said simply.

 _Knock_. _Knock_. _Knock_.

“Now I’m going to make you your tea. If whoever it is is still there when I’m done, then I’ll see what it is they want.” Riza said, wiping her hands off on her skirt.

“I love you, Riza.” He mumbled softly.

 _No you don’t, you never have_. She thought angrily, shutting the door without a word.

 _Knock_. _Knock_. _Knock_.

Rolling her eyes as she walked down the steps, she hollered over her shoulder “Be there in a minute!” as she entered the kitchen. She quickly made her Father’s tea, possibly for the last time, and walked fast paced to deliver it to him. Once that was done, she cracked her neck muscles, and walked back down the stairs.

 _Knock_. _Knock_. _Knock_.

“Jeez what do they want?” She groaned. Walking to the front door, she threw it open, an annoyed look on her face.

“What do you wa-“ she cut herself off, a look of shock on her face, when she looked up and saw who it was.

 _Roy_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Riza telling her father off is a bit OOC, but you know what? This is an AU story. And frankly, she has earned the right to tell her old man off. I just wish it had actually happened in the manga/anime- even if it was only at his grave.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually one of the longest chapters of the story so far. According to FanFic, where it and all my other stories are also posted, it's word count is: 6046.   
> Biggest chapter after that is Chapter 2 with 4,983 words.  
> I don't know how accurate those numbers are, so keep that in mind.

Roy smiled at his wife, while she mentally processed the fact that she was indeed staring at him after two entire years apart.

Two entire years away from each other, separated by a ten hour train ride. Their only forms of communication being a five minute every two week phone call and a once a month letter.

“Can I have a hug from my beautiful wife?” He asked softly.

Riza found herself breaking down into tears, throwing her arms around his neck.

“What are you doing back? I wasn’t expecting you for a few more days?” She asked between sobs.

“I wanted to surprise you, so I lied about when I was coming back.” He admitted, holding her tightly.

Riza pulled away from him and kissed him on the lips, moaning as he kissed her back. When they broke apart, she looked him up and down, her lips turning up in a slight smirk at him in his uniform.

“Didn’t think you’d look _this_ good in a military uniform.” She snorted.

“ _Meh_. It’s kinda thick and itchy, to be honest. I’m so not looking forward to dealing with this in the summer time.” He groaned.

“Do they not provide a winter and summer version?” Riza asked.

“You get this one for year round in the main five sections of the country, and a thicker one if you’re unlucky enough to get stationed in Briggs.”

“Will you ever get transferred there?” Riza asked.

“Good God I hope not. The General in charge of there is scary. I heard she’s pure evil.”

“She?” Riza yelped.

“Oh yeah, women are in the Army. It’s one of the few professions that both men and women can do. Not sure what the requirements for a woman to be able to enlist are, though.” Roy explained.

“With how you described what you’ve dealt with the last two years, I don't know why any woman would want to join.” She snorted, grabbing his hand and pulling him inside.

She lead him into the living room and pushed him onto the couch, straddling his legs before he could even open his mouth.

“Someone is being brave. Considering your Father is home. Or is today one of his bad days?” Roy smirked.

“Nope. Today’s actually a good one. But it’s been two years and frankly, my hand has only been able to do _so much_. So shut up.” She whispered in his ear, unbuckling his belt as his hands slid under her skirt.

“Riza, honey, I wanna _taste_ you.” He whined, letting out a groan as her hand grasped his dick. He returned the favor by pushing her panties to the side and stroking her folds.

“L-Later. I wanna get to the main event.” She moaned softly.

“ _Riiiiiza_.” He pouted, kissing her neck.

“Roy. Later tonight, you can put your head between my legs as long as your heart desires. Hell, you can fall asleep with your tongue _inside_ me for all I care. But right now the only- _ohh_ \- thing I w-want inside of me is _this_.” Riza said, giving him a slow pump.

“Take your panties off.” He ordered. Riza did as he told, climbing off of him long enough to slide her panties off. She straddled him again, and hiked up her skirt.

“It’s been two years, do you remember what to do?” He asked, holding the base of his member as she hovered above his tip.

“Probably not.” Riza admitted, holding the hem of her skirt around her hips, leaving her private area exposed.

“Want me to do the work?” He asked her.

“Yes, but I wanna stay in this position.” Riza requested.

“Okay.”

With that agreement accomplished, Riza slowly sunk down on his member, biting her bottom lip to keep from crying out in pleasure.

“Shit, I forgot how _tight_ you are.” Roy groaned, biting her neck. “I can already tell I’m _not_ going to last long.” He gasped.

“Don’t care at the moment.” She grunted, as he gripped her hips and thrust up into her.

“We have to be quiet, Reez. Don’t want your Dad to hear us.” Roy smirked.

“You feel s-so damn _g-good_ , Roy.” Riza groaned, burying her head against his neck.

Roy came first, burying himself to the hilt as he spilled his seed inside of her, making absolutely _no_ attempts to pull out of her. Riza’s breath hitched in shock when she realized what he was doing, and her mouth opened in a low moan when the warmth she felt triggered her own orgasm. Her walls clenched his dick tightly, milking him for every single drop he had to offer.

“You know we might have just...” She gasped, trailing off, her face still against in his neck.

“Yeah, I know.” He panted. “I got transfer orders to be in East City. We have to be there by November 1st.” Roy told her.

“East City? Sounds nice. How far of a train ride is that?”

“Five hours and forty five minutes.”

“Even better.” She giggled, kissing his cheek.

“Do you mind if I go speak to your Father?” Roy asked her.

“Not at all. Go ahead.”

Riza slid his spent member out of her, quickly getting off of him so as little of their fluids could spill onto his uniform. Roy tucked his dick back into his pants, and zipped himself up. He bent down, cupped Riza’s cheeks in his hands, and kissed her softly on the lips.

“Do me a favor? Don’t mention East City to him. I doubt he’ll be alive by time we have to be there, but I’d rather not have him try to start an argument and put you in a bad mood.” Riza asked softly.

“I won’t. Frankly I don’t want him knowing where we live even if he _was_ in good health.” Roy scoffed, as he turned to walk up the stairs.

While he was gone, Riza sat back down on the couch and exhaled slowly.

_Less then thirty days and I’ll be out of here. Not even a month and I’ll be free from this town. The old man can’t stop me, he won’t make it another week. I’ll be surprised if he even survives through tonight. The baby me and Roy might have just conceived on this couch will grow up in a safe and happy home, with two parents that love them and each other._

Riza wasn’t sure how long she’d been preoccupied by her thoughts, how long Roy had been gone, before she heard him yelling for her.

 _Oh God._ She panicked. _Did my Father mention the tattoo?_

She doubted it, but she still had a panic expression etched on to her face as she raced up the stairs to Berthold’s bedroom.

* * *

The funeral was a quiet affair, held the next day.

Only the two of them were in attendance, even though neither of them really wanted to be there. Berthold Hawkeye didn’t even deserve the amount of guests at his funeral he did receive.

The man _barely_ deserved a funeral.

“I’m sorry you had to pay for my Father’s funeral.” Riza muttered.

“It’s the least I could do, after everything he’s taught me.”

 _Even if it is more then he deserved._ They both thought to themselves.

“Your Father told me that soldiers are left to die on the side of the road like trash. I’m still surprised he agreed to let me marry you.” Roy sighed.

“Please _don’t_ die.” She said, her tone ominous.

“Don’t day it like _that_.” He begged, cringing. “I can’t guarantee it. But I know it’s the only way to make a difference, and I know I’ll never be happy if I don’t try to make this country a better place.”

Roy looked at her, and chuckled nervously when he realized he had finally told her why he had enlisted in the first place.

“Man, that must’ve sounded pretty childish, huh?” He blushed.

“Not at all. There’s _nothing_ childish about caring.” Riza told him, not just as his wife, but as his friend.

Because despite being legally bound for over two years, that’s what they had been the majority of the time they’d known each other: _friends_.

Riza decided right then and there. As soon as they’d got home, she would show him her back, and tell him what her Father had done to her in his absence.

* * *

The walk home was silent. Not an awkward one, but a rather comfortable one. Roy wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him.

“So how’s Jane been? You haven’t mentioned her lately.” Roy asked, breaking the silence.

“I don’t know, her family sent her to North City over the summer.” Riza frowned.

“She got married?”

“No. Early acceptance to University. She’s going to be a _doctor_ , just like her Father.” She said, smiling happily for her friend.

What she _didn’t_ tell him was that the only reason why Jane's parents even had her take the early entrance exam was because one of their classmates and Molly Brown’s best friend, _Cleo August_ , had been married off to the son of a well respected business man from South City. Who then proceeded to beat her to death ten months later for giving birth to a daughter _instead_ of a son. _She hadn’t even been sixteen..._

What had become of her baby daughter, Riza didn’t know nor did she want to.

All she knew was that six weeks later Jane was taking her exams, and a month after that she was gone.

“Good for her!” Roy grinned, truly happy for his wife’s childhood best friend.

“ _Mhm_. I’m so happy for her. She’s always wanted to be a doctor. It’s wonderful she’s getting the chance to follow her dreams.” She cooed.

“What are your dreams?” Roy asked softly.

“Never really thought of it, honestly. I know I’ve always wanted to be a mother, and to get out of this town. And I’m going to have that, because of you. But beyond that? I don’t know.” She admitted.

Roy frowned, kissing her temple. He then scooped her up bridal style, carrying her the rest of the way home.

* * *

“Do you know where your Father kept legal documents? Deed to the house, your birth certificate, parent's marriage certificate, things like that?” Roy asked.

Riza shook her head _no_.

“I don’t even know where _our_ marriage certificate is.” She admitted.

“Oh that’s in a lock box underneath our bed.” Roy told her. “I wasn’t about to let him have that.”

 _Oh_.

“Perhaps his study? Or maybe the attic. I don’t know how to get in there though. I’ve tried, it’s locked.”

“Lemme try.” He said, walking to the door that kept the attic steps hidden.

He was silent while he studied the door. Riza watched him, unsure of what he was doing.

“Can you get me a piece of chalk?” He asked, his back to her.

Riza went to her Father’s study, rummaged around the desk drawers for some chalk, and gave a small triumphant smile when she was successful. She handed the piece to Roy, who drew a transmutation circle on the drawer.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“See those marks?” He asked, pointing to the strange marks along where the door and wall met.

“Yes?”

“That’s Alchemy. That’s how your dad sealed this door, why you couldn’t ever open it.” Roy explained, before clapping his hands.

_And there goes the attic door..._

“Come on.” He smirked, taking her hand as he lead them up the stairs.

To say the attic was dusty would be the biggest understatement in Amestris history. Roy had to alchemically break the window in order to provide them some sort of fresh air.

“It _smells_ up here.” Riza gagged.

“Tell me about it.” He groaned, covering his nose with his hand. “Let’s just pick something and take it down to look through.”

Riza looked around the space, her eyes focusing on a chest in the corner.

“That.” She said, pointing.

“Good place to start.”

“Need any help?” Riza asked.

“Nah. But thank you.” Roy said, picking it up with both hands.

“Want me to go down first?” Riza asked.

“No. I might trip & I would rather not land on you.”

“Are you sure you don’t need my help?” Riza asked again, walking down the steps behind him.

“Yes honey. It’s not that heavy.” Roy promised.

Once they got to Riza’s old bedroom, the closest and emptiest room on the second floor, Roy put the chest down on to the floor. He grabbed the chalk from his pocket, drew another circle, and broke the lock.

“Huh. Mostly paperwork. No wonder it wasn’t that heavy.” Roy mumbled, sitting down on the floor.

“Hopefully it’s important paperwork and not more of my fathers notes.” Riza scoffed, sitting across from Roy as he grabbed a folded up piece of paper from the chest.

“Ah ha! Yep. This is what we needed to find.” Roy grinned, handing her the paper he had grabbed.

It was the deed to the house.

“What else is in there?” Riza wondered, grabbing her own sheet. What she read surprised her.

_Berthold Jeremiah Hawkeye._  
_Born November 22, 1860 at 4:17 pm._  
_Nine pounds, three ounces, twenty two inches long._  
_Mother: Savannah Eloise Hawkeye_  
_Father: David Richard Hawkeye_

“What is it?” Roy asked.

“My Father’s birth certificate. I never even knew his middle name...”

“Damn.“ He scoffed.

The next piece of paper Riza pulled out held her Mother’s birth certificate.

_Vivian Elizabeth Ann Grumman._  
_Born July 1st, 1870 at 2:23 am._  
_Six pounds, 14 ounces, 19 inches long._  
_Mother: Matilda Rosalind Grumman_  
_Father: Albert George Grumman._

Riza let out a shaky breath as she read the document.

“Riza, hon? What’s wrong?” Roy asked.

“I didn’t realize how _young_ my Mother was when she died...”

“How young?”

“Twenty one. She wasn’t even nineteen when I was born. She died the winter after I turned two. I wonder if any of my grandparents are still alive. Would be nice to put faces to the names.”

“Lemme see it.” He requested, holding out his hand. Riza handed him the paper, and when he read it, he felt his heart drop to his stomach.

“What? What’s wrong?”

_If you tell me you have someone with the name Grumman in your family, I’m jumping off the roof right now!_

“I recognize this name.” He groaned.

“How so?”

_If I find out I’m married to a distant cousin I will kill myself, there will be no hesitation. I do not love Roy that much._

“My commanding officer in East City is going to be a man named Grumman.”

_Thank fucking God!_

“Is it my Grandfather?” Riza asked curiously.

“I don’t know. I don’t know the man’s first name. I only know him as Lieutenant General Grumman. It’s not a very common name, so while I don’t know if he’s your Grandpa, he’s more then likely related to you. Possibly a great uncle or something.” Roy said.

“First chance you get to talk to him in private, ask. I never knew anything about my extended family. It would be nice to know something.”

“Will do. Hey! I found your birth certificate.” He cackled, reading it aloud.

“ _Elizabeth Ann Hawkeye, born May 13th, 1889 at twelve o’clock pm. Four pounds, two ounces, seventeen inches_ \- damn you _were_ tiny. _Mother: Vivian Elizabeth Ann Hawkeye. Father: Berthold Jeremiah Hawkeye._ Didn’t realize your full name was after your Mom.”

“Father said that was what my Mother requested early on in their marriage, before they realized having children would be difficult. That if they ever had a daughter, her name would be _Elizabeth Ann_.”

“Where’d they come up with Riza?”

“I have no idea. He said my Mother called me that from the beginning.”

“Ah.” Roy nodded in understanding.

“Roy?”

“Yes?”

“I want to- _need_ , to show you something.” Riza said softly. It was time he finally learned what had happened to her, the true reason why she missed their first phone call.

“What is it?”

Instead of answering him, Riza simply stood up, and walked out of the room, walking down the steps back down to the living room.

“R-Riza? What’s wrong?” Roy asked, quickly following after her.

When he got to her, her back was facing the living room doorway, and he could tell by her posture that she was nervous.

“Riza...?”

He didn’t notice her quickly unbuttoning her blouse, the fabric quickly falling to the floor. Riza stood silently, holding her breasts with her hands, as she waited for Roy to explode over seeing her back.

_And explode he did._

“What the fuck did he do to you?” He screamed, the volume of his voice making Riza flinch.

“When did this happen? How did it happen?” Roy snarled, paving around the room. Riza kept quiet. For the first time in the six years she known him, Riza was truly _scared_ of Roy.

And she _didn’t_ like it.

“I wish he hadn’t died so I could kill him _myself_!” He hollered.

“Seriously, Riza? What the fuck is that?” He snapped, as he continued to pace around the living room.

“ _The secrets to Flame Alchemy_.”

Roy stopped dead in his tracks.

“He _used_ you, like a fucking piece of parchment paper.” He scoffed, shaking his head, as he leaned forward to rest his hands on his knees.

“And I thought the cold-hearted bastard ruined your life by forcing you to get married at fourteen.”

“When did he do this to you?” Roy asked her again, this time much calmer.

“... It’s why I missed our first phone call...” She said softly, trying not to cry.

Roy exhaled sharply.

“I knew something was wrong. I just knew it! What kind of a husband am I? I couldn’t even protect my wife from her own Father!” He scoffed, talking to himself.

“Roy, it’s okay.” Riza cooed, trying to calm him down.

“No it’s not, Riza! Do you have any idea how much danger he put you in? Something like that is dangerous if the wrong person finds out about it! What was the bastard even thinking?” He snapped.

Riza walked to him, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Roy, it’s okay.” She repeated.

“Will you please quit saying that?” He scoffed, resting his chin on her shoulder, as he wrapped his arms around her back.

“I don’t mean it in a way that condones what my Father did to me. I mean that it isn’t your fault.” She cooed.

All Roy could do was cry into her skin, repeating over and over again that he was _so sorry_.

* * *

Later that night, the two of them rested comfortably in bed, Riza laying on her stomach as Roy examined her back, the both of them as naked as they had been on their wedding night.

“You know, from an Alchemist’s view point, it’s actually quiet incredible. Even if most of the text is just an ode to fire.” He mumbled, his finger tracing the transmutation circle etched into her skin.

“But as a human beings point of view...?” Riza asked.

“It makes me wish I knew about this when your Father was alive, so I could’ve ripped his spine out through his mouth.” He growled.

“I can’t believe he forced you to do this...” Roy grumbled.

“He didn’t... not exactly.”

“What do you mean?”

“He... t-told me that he needed my help with his research. That it was important. And like an utter idiot, I agreed.” Riza frowned.

“He _manipulated_ you, Riza. That’s worse. That pisses me off even more!” Roy groaned, laying down on his back next to her.

“How long did it take to complete?” Roy asked her. When she opened her mouth to answer, he quickly interrupted her.

“On second thought, don’t tell me. I do not want to know.”

“The day he died, when you were knocking on the door, he told me he loved me. And I thought, ‘ _No you don’t. You never have_ ’ I regret not saying those words outloud to him. If I had known he’d be dead by the time the sun went down, I would have.”

“I’m glad you knew that it was bullshit, Reez.” Roy told her softly, rolling her onto her side and pulling her close.

“I wanna have sex again.” She told him.

“Already? We just finished.”

“Two years, Roy! Two years!” Riza whined, snaking her hands down to grasp him, making him groan.

“Ok-kay.” He stuttered when she pumped her hand. “What position do you want, do you know?”

Riza _did_ know what position she wanted. They’d only done it once before, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. But because of her tattoo, she was worried Roy would never want to do it again.

_Only one way to find out..._

Releasing his dick, she scooted away from him, and positioned her body the same way Roy had done the first time.

“Pretty please?” She begged, biting her bottom lip.

He fought back a groan as he saw what position she wanted. He sat up and moved behind her, grabbing her hips and re-positioning her, making her ass go higher into the air.

“ _Ohhh_!” She moaned loudly, when he sunk into her.

Roy was not gentle as he slammed in and out of her, grunting as she moaned beneath him.

“R-rougher.” Riza begged.

What kind of husband would he be if he didn’t give his wife what she wanted? Groaning, Roy pounded harder into her, moving his hand from her waist to circle around her clit.

“Oh god yes!” Riza moaned, her cheek resting against the mattress. It was like that, with her face pressed against the bed and her ass in the air, that Riza came, her walls pulsing and clenching around Roy’s dick.

“ _Fuck_!” Roy grunted, emptying into her.

“Why does it feel so _good_ when you come inside me?” Riza whined, as Roy slid out of her, their fluids flowing out of her and down to the mattress.

“I have no idea.” He panted, unbending her legs so Riza was laying flat on her stomach.

He flopped onto his back next to her, gasping as he caught his breath. Riza rolled over and snuggled up to him, letting out a happy sigh as she laid her head on his peck.

“The military you you a lot of muscles.” She cooed, running her hand up and down the abs he _didn’t_ have two years ago.

Roy just laughed.

* * *

The next two weeks went by in a blur. Their mornings were spent with Roy studying her back, their afternoons spent going through the house, deciding on what little items they wanted to keep, and their nights and evenings were spent making love in bed, hopeful for Riza to either be pregnant or for them to have a child of their own before their third wedding anniversary.

“What should we do with all these books?” Roy asked, as they sat in Berthold’s study.

The man had several tomes lining his bookshelves, with the contents ranging from different types of maths and sciences to history and geology. For an Alchemist, it surprised Roy how few of the books’ subjects were Alchemy based.

“Whatever. Makes no difference to me.” Riza shrugged.

“The military might pay a decent amount of money for some of these texts. Some of them are hundreds of years old, and in pristine condition.”

“Roy. I don’t care what you do with them. Sell them, keep them, give them away, use them as firewood, it makes no difference to me.” Riza sighed, trying not to let her voice show her annoyance.

“I always thought books interested you.” Roy frowned.

“They do. Just not _his_ books.” Riza mumbled.

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Unfortunately, it’s going to take me a while to recover from my childhood, and that’s assuming I ever do. Most anyone can do really is just let it take its course.” She sighed.

“I can’t wait until we get out of here. I don’t ever want to come back here.” Roy smiled at her.

“Me too. I am going to miss Jane’s family though.”

“Your families close?” Roy asked.

“Eh. Jane’s Dad is the doctor who delivered me- and most of the town’s people that are younger then you. He’s also who treated my Mother when she was dying. And I do know that if anything had happened to my Father when I was growing up, the McCowls would’ve taken me in unless other family of mine had been founded, so I wouldn’t end up in a group home.” Riza explained.

“They sound like good people.”

“They are.” She smiled.

Standing up off the floor, Riza wiped her hands on her skirt, and smiled at Roy.

“While you are decided what books you wish to do what with, I am going to go up to the attic and see if there’s anything up there I want to keep. Hopefully being aired out for two weeks has made things less dusty.” She said, turning to leave the room.

“I love you!” He yelled after her.

“I love you too!”

* * *

She stood in the middle of the attic, not knowing where to start. There were just so many boxes and trunks. Exhaling as she shook her head, Riza walked towards a cardboard box that was beside where the chest of paperwork had been, figuring that maybe her Father had put all the important things in the same corner.

She dragged it to the center of the room, sat down, opened it, and yelped in shock when the first thing she saw was a dead rat.

“ _Ew_!” She gagged, jumping back away from the box.

“What? What is it?” She heard Roy yell from the hallway.

“I found a _dead_ rat in a box!”

“Want me to get rid of it for you?” Roy asked between giggles.

“Please!”

Riza was silent as Roy ascended the attic stairs, grabbed the rat corpse by its tail- holding it as far away from him as he could while doing so- and tossed it out the broken attic window.

“ _Yuck_!” Riza gagged.

“I seem to recall that when I first came here, _you_ were the one chasing rats out of the kitchen and _I_ was the one being grossed out.” He snorted.

“Those rats were _alive_ Roy!” Riza cried, crossing her arms.

“Alright. Holler if you find another dead rodent.” He snorted, walking back down the steps.

Shaking her head, Riza went back to the box, shivering as she picked up the random piece of cloth the dead rat was on.

The cloth ended up being a table cloth. Nothing fancy, just a simple white colored table cloth, that had no damage from rats or moths as far as Riza could tell. She was surprised it was still in decent condition. It didn’t appear to be yellow or faded. Once she was done examining it, she folded it back up and placed it next to her, and grabbed the next thing from the box.

By the time the box was emptied, she had pulled out one white table cloth, eight white napkins, eight gold napkin rings, ten gold place mats- _I wonder what happened to the other two napkins and napkin rings?_ She had thought to herself after counting the items- and at the bottom of the boxes was a forty piece set of flatware, the handles lined with a gold leaf design.

_These are actually very pretty. Which side of the family these came from?_

Putting everything back into the box in the order they were put in, Riza dragged the box back to the doorway, deciding she wanted to keep everything in it, before grabbing a trunk and pulling it to the center of the room.

The chest was heavy, and she scoffed in annoyance when she discovered the contents were books. Riza was about to call for Roy to come deal with them himself, when she realized that one of them wasn’t a regular book.

It was a _photo album_.

Picking it up, she sat it on her lap and opened it. She didn’t recognize the baby in the first photo, tiny and definitely new, snuggled up in a blanket. Because the photo was black and white, she couldn’t even tell if the baby was a boy or a girl.

She turned the page and saw a woman who seemed familiar, but couldn’t place who she was, holding the baby. The woman clearly looked exhausted, her hair a mess as she smiled happily at the camera, her newborn in her arms.

The next page showed her Father, much younger and healthier looking, holding the same baby, a genuine smile on his own face. _Oh. This is my baby book._ Riza thought, turning the pages to look at each photo. The album ended with a picture of a two year old Riza sitting in front of a tree, a stuffed bunny in her hands and joyful grin on her face. Mother died the following February. I guess she was the one who took all my photos, since the album stops here.

Riza shut the album, and put it on the floor next to her.

The rest of the books were books of fiction, clearly belonging to Vivian and _not_ Berthold.

 _Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Huckleberry Fin, Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island, Little Women, Black Beauty, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Around the World in 80 Days_ , and many more titles. So many books and Riza had read none of them. She couldn’t help but wonder if any of them were any good.

“Hey Roy!” She yelled over her shoulder.

“Yeah?”

“I found some books!”

“Oh crap.” She heard her groan. _Oh crap? Why would he- ohh. He must think they belong to my Father._ She thought, as he entered the attic.

“So what _kind_ of books?” He asked her.

“ _Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea_.” She said, holding it up for him to see.

“Oh. _Entertaining_ books.” He grinned, sitting next to her.

“So I’m right to assume these belonged to my Mother?” Riza asked.

“That’s what I would assume, considering all your Dad’s books are focused on knowledge instead of fun.”

“So what was in the rat’s coffin?” He smirked.

“Table cloth, napkins, flatware, things like that. It’s over there for you to take down for me.” She said, pointing.

“Got it.”

* * *

It took them another four days to completely go through the attic.

There wasn’t much that either of them wanted to keep, but they decided to put what they did want in the four trunks the attic held, deciding they were more sturdy than flimsy cardboard boxes.

“These are really _beautiful_.” Riza mumbled, examining the fine China her and Roy had discovered in the last box.

“Tell me about it. Why would your dad hide these things away and force you to eat off chipped and broken plates?” He scoffed, examining the white and gold floral tea kettle.

“I think most of the nice things we’ve found belonged to my Mother. It’s like he wanted to pretend she never existed.” Riza sighed, checking every single one of the fifty seven items in the box, ensuring that none of them were damaged in anyway.

None of them had so much as a scratch.

“So what should we use these for, everyday use or special occasion?” Roy asked.

“I... have no idea. I think the plates and bowls will be for special occasion and the tea set for every day use.” She decided.

“Sounds like a plan.”

* * *

“How _exactly_ are we going to get our things to East City?” Riza asked one morning, as she made pancakes for breakfast. They were supposed to leave for the train to East City tomorrow morning, and they had so many trunks and boxes to take with them.

“There’s a moving truck with some men set to arrive this afternoon to load up our stuff, not sure what time they’ll be here though.” Roy answered.

“And they’re going to take _everything_?” Riza winced.

“Not unless we tell them too. I figured we’d just put what we want in one room, lead them to it and go ‘ _only take what’s in here_ ’ and then stay out of their way.”

“Good idea. What room though?”

“Well... do you want to take any of the furniture?”

“Not particularly. What about my Father’s desk? You seem interested in it.” Riza said, putting the pancakes in front of them and sitting down beside him.

“I’ll admit it is a nice desk, but I don’t want it. Hey? What’s going to happen with the chickens?” Roy asked, hearing them cluck and squawk outside.

“Mrs. McCowl is supposed to be here at noon to get them.” Riza told him, shoving a bite of food into her mouth.

 _Knock_. _Knock_. _Knock_.

“Who the hell? It’s too early for anyone we’re expecting to show up.” Roy grumbled, confused.

“I hope it’s _not_ any debt collectors.” Riza groaned. “I don’t even want to know how much money my Father owed random people.”

 _Knock_. _Knock_. _Knock_.

Pushing his plate away, Roy stood up and walked towards the doorway.

“Stay here unless I say otherwise.” He ordered softly.

“ _Boy if you do not open this door right now, I will kick it down!_ ” A gruff voice from outside yelled from the porch.

“ _And you know I can kick a door down off its hinges!_ ”

“Oh God, it’s my Aunt Chris!” Roy cried, running to open the front door for her.

Riza poked her head through the kitchen door way, watching as a heavy set woman pulled Roy in for a bear hug.

The woman, who Riza now knew to be Madam Christmas, looked absolutely _nothing_ like Roy. She saw zero resemblance between the two of them. _Maybe she’s his aunt through marriage? Or adoption?_

Madam Christmas had dark brown hair, a mole on her face, lots of make up and jewelry on, and a fur coat.

“You’ve been eating Roy-boy?” She asked him, taking his chin in her hand as she examined his face.

_Roy-Boy?_

“Yes Mama.” Roy grinned.

_Whack!_

“ _Don’t_ call me Mama!” She snapped, smacking him upside the head, ruffling his hair with her manicured hand.

“What are you doing here?” Roy asked her.

“Well excuse me for wanting to meet my Daughter-in-Law, since you haven’t brought her to Central yet!” Christmas snapped.

“We leave for East City _tomorrow_! And hey, if I’m not allowed to call you mama, you’re not allowed to call Riza your daughter-in-law.” Roy grumbled.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Christmas said, finally noticing Riza standing in the doorway.

“She’s adorable, Roy-Boy!” Christmas cooed, giving Riza what seemed to be a genuine smile.

“ _Roy-Boy_?” Riza quipped, raising an eyebrow.

“If you love me, you won’t _ever_ call me that.” Roy begged.

“I promise I won’t ever call you that... _to your face_.” She smirked, turning to walk back into the kitchen.

“Riiiiiiza!” Roy whined.

“Oh she’s going to fit in _great_ with the girls.” Christmas laughed, following after Riza.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I am shit at describing fancy dishes, here is an amazon link to the dinnerware set Riza and Roy found.  
> https://www.amazon.com/Lorren-Home-Trends-57-Piece-Dinnerware/dp/B00G4BJTCO/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1Q5NIQYD99VND&dchild=1&keywords=lorren+home+trends+dinnerware&qid=1586897999&sprefix=lorren+home%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-1


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are four racial slurs in this story.  
> Three are directed towards those of Asian descent.  
> One is directed towards Africans/African Americans.  
> I apologize if they upset anyone. Racial slurs won’t be a regular occurrence in this story.  
> Also, very brief mention of infanticide/SIDS

“So what do you plan on doing with this house?” Chris asked, as she sipped the tea Riza had served her.

“Sell it. A childhood friend of mine’s parents said they would contact me in East City if there were any potential buyers.” Riza informed her, sitting down next to Roy.

She knew Christmas was studying her, taking in the kind of girl her adopted son/nephew had married. She hoped that she wasn’t a true disappointment for the Madam. Riza knew how much Roy cared about her.

“She’s a quiet and simple one. Not like those loud and frilly girls you used to bring home from school.” Christmas smirked.

“Chris...” Roy groaned.

“Don’t pout at me boy, that’s a good thing! She’ll keep you level-headed and grounded, since I won’t be able to do that for you anymore.” The Madam explained, rolling her eyes at Roy.

“Do you care if I smoke?” She turned to asked Riza, reaching into her purse and pulling out an unlit cigarette and a lighter.

“Not inside please.” Riza responded.

Christmas gave her a curt nod understanding, before standing up and opening the back door, leaning against it to keep it open, as she smoked on the back porch.

“When can I expect grand babies?” She asked, taking a drag of her cancer stick.

The two of them tensed up, unsure of how to answer. Riza had been nauseous the last few mornings, but as far as whether or not she was indeed pregnant, they didn’t know.

It was Roy who finally answered her.

“Hopefully by this time next year.”

“Good. The girls want at least niece or nephew to spoil. And I want a grand-baby or three. I’m _not_ getting any younger.”

_Mental note, ask Roy how old she is on the train to Easy City._

“You got chickens? You’re not taking them to East City, are you?” Chris asked.

“No, their new owner should be here by noon.” Riza told her.

“Hmm.”

“How long exactly do you plan on visiting? Because like I said, we leave here tomorrow.” Roy asked.

“I plan on getting on a train back to Central tomorrow morning. But you two better come visit before you have a screaming baby to take care of!” Christmas said sternly.

“Yes ma’am.”

* * *

The rest of the day went by uneventfully.

Jane’s mother, Dorothy, arrived at eleven forty-five am to pick up the hens, and the men with the moving truck arrived at three pm to take their things.

“You gonna miss this place?” Christmas asked Riza, as the younger woman packed her suitcase with what little clothes her secret allowed her to keep.

“Nope. I’ve looked forward to getting out of this place since the day me and Roy got married.”

“I’m sorry the two of you got married the way you did.” Christmas told her.

“I’m _not_. I’m happy and he’s _never_ hurt me. Never even made me _think_ that he _might_ hurt me. Most girls aren’t that lucky. _I_ almost wasn’t that lucky.” She shrugged.

“But still...” Chris sighed.

“My Father was going to marry me off at fourteen either way. I am just glad he decided to let me marry Roy and not a man _your age_.” Riza said simply.

“And my boy has never forced you to do anything you didn’t want to do?”

“.... Does making me go swimming in a pond when I was twelve count?”

Christmas laughed loudly. “No, it doesn’t.”

“Then no, he’s never forced me do anything.”

“Good. Because I raised him better then that.”

“He wanted me to move to Central to stay with you during his time at the Academy. But I _c-couldn’t_ leave my... Father... behind. What a stupid _mistake_ that was.” Riza scoffed.

“What do you mean?”

Riza sighed softly. Her and Roy were in an agreement that if anyone else was to see her back, then it would be her decision to make. And she decided that Madam Christmas _should_ know.

“Riza?” Chris said, her gruff voice sounding concerned.

“Everything okay?” Roy asked, leaning against the doorway.

“I’m... not sure.” Chris told him.

“I want to tell her, about what my Father did while you were gone. I just, don’t know how to do it.” Riza explained.

“Do what you did for me and just show her?” Roy suggested.

Riza shrugged. “Might as well.”

And so, she turned around and removed her turtleneck sweater, revealing the secrets to Flame Alchemy to Madam Christmas.

“Good Lord.” She gasped, shaking her head.

“Look what he did to _my_ wife!” Roy snarled angrily, motioning his arm towards Riza’s tattoo.

“Don’t talk about her like she’s your property.” Christmas scolded.

“Better then using me as a piece of paper...” Riza scoffed, crossing her arms over her breasts.

“How long did that take to complete?” Christmas asked her. When her question was met with silence, she turned to her nephew in confusion.

“I told her I never wanted to know the answer to that.” He frowned, crossing his arms.

“Did he do it all at once or did he do a little here and a little there?” She asked Riza.

“... All at once...”

“Have I mentioned that I’m glad the bastard is dead and rotting in the lowest depths of hell?”

“I’m going to assume that this is something y’all want me to stay hush hush about?” Christmas said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Yes ma’am.” Riza said, putting her shirt back on.

* * *

Riza was nervous. She’d never been on a train before.

“Relax.” Roy cooed in her ear, kissing her cheek.

It was just the two of them, as Madam Christmas’ train had left the station fifteen minutes prior.

“Roy, I’ve been queasy all morning. What if I end up throwing up on the train?” She groaned.

“Just relax. Calm and steady breaths. There’s a snack cart on the train, I’ll get you some saltines and some mint tea.” Roy reassured her.

“Mint tea?”

She has never even heard of mint tea, much less drank it.

“Chris said it’s good for nausea. And the crackers are so you have something in your stomach.”

_**“Eight o’clock train for East City, now boarding!”** _

“That’s us.” He reminded her, taking her hand as he lead her to the boarding platform.

* * *

Trains, Riza found, were extremely _boring_. She couldn’t look out the window because the fast motion gave her a headache, and the wooden bench seats were very uncomfortable.

But at least the crackers and tea Roy ordered her helped settle her stomach.

“Roy?”

“Hmm?”

“I haven’t been _this_ bored since before we got married.” She huffed.

“I’m sorry, love. Read a book?” He suggested.

“Tried. Got four sentences in and got motion sickness.” Riza pouted.

“I wish we were able to confirm if I was pregnant or not before we left. I hate not knowing.”

“I know. Once we get settled in I’ll help you find a doctor, assuming you don’t start before then.” Roy reassured her, wrapping his arm around her waist as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“Do you have any idea what our home is going to look like? You haven’t said.”

“Well, because we’re married, they gave me three options. A one bedroom apartment, a two bedroom apartment, or a town home. Since we want a big family, I figured it would just be easier to have a town home.” He told her.

“Town home sounds nice. How many bedrooms?”

“I have no idea. They didn’t say, and I didn’t really ask. I do know that it’s furnished. But who knows how many pieces they’ve given us or what it all looks like.”

“ _Crappy_ furniture is better than _no_ furniture. Do you know how long we’ll be living in East City?”

“My contract says five years. But anything could happen. Could stay less, could live there the rest of our lives. Only time will tell.” He yawned.

“No yawning. If I can’t sleep, you can’t sleep.” She laughed, ruffling his hair.

“Hey _Chonky_! Tell your woman to shut her yap up.” A middle aged man reading a newspaper a few benches away snapped at Roy.

 _Uh oh_. Riza cringed, seeing Roy’s head lift up off her shoulder and his eyes narrow angrily.

“Excuse me? What did you just say asshole?” Roy snarled.

“Roy, please...” Riza whined softly, wanting him to calm down. They still had another two hours of their train ride left. She didn’t want to get into any confrontations.

“Did I stutter, you _Gook_? Tell her to shut up and keep quiet. She _should_ have been raised properly, if she was, she’d _know_ her _place_.” The man snarled.

Roy abruptly stood up, his fists clenched, and Riza let out a soft whimper of fear, her arms wrapping around her stomach. As much as she wanted to stop Roy from getting into a brawl, her main priority was to ensure the safety of the child she wasn’t completely sure she was indeed carrying.

_Please don’t do anything to get yourself a dishonorable discharge, Roy. Please!_

“Is there a problem?” A conductor with wonderful timing entered the car, seeing Roy and the other man glaring at each other.

“This man interrupted a _private conversation_ in order to _insult_ me and my wife.” Roy told the conductor through gritted teeth.

“You two lovebirds were bothering everyone else with your yapping!” The man snapped at Roy.

“Is this true?” The conductor asked the other twenty car occupants.

Not a single one of them said a _word_.

“The _only_ one that is bothering _any_ of us is _that man_ who insulted the couple.” A dark skinned man, who was at least twenty years older then the racist told the conductor.

“Mind your own business, you _Coon_!”

“Boy, I know you didn’t just call me that! I was _born before_ you, and if you keep that vulgar vocabulary of yours up, I’ll _die after_ you!” The darker man snapped.

The older man actually had Roy take a large step back from the racist man, not wanting to get in the middle if the two got into a fist fight.

“To think I joined the army to protect people like _you_.” Roy scoffed at the middle aged man.

“Oh, so they let _Chinks_ in the military now? When did _that_ start?”

“That’s it! You sir, come with me!” The conductor yelled, grabbing the jackass by the collar and dragging him away.

“Let me go!” The man snarled angrily.

Once the man was gone and off the train car, the rest of the occupants let out a sigh of relief.

“I hate men like that.” The older gentleman scoffed, shaking his head.

“I’m used to terms like that, growing up in Central, but when he insulted my wife...” Roy sighed.

“I understand completely. I once went to jail for three months for punching a man in the jaw for slapping my wife’s rear end.” The gentleman laughed.

“I heard you say you’re in the military. How long you been in?”

“Just finished the Academy last month. Got orders to be in East City by the end of today.”

“East City, good place to start a family. Who are you serving under, you know?”

“Lieutenant General Grumman.”

“Albert Grumman?” The man laughed, and Roy tried not to tense up.

_So my Commanding Officer is Riza’s Grandfather... Oh this should be fun._

“I went to the Academy with him. Served together in Central for nearly thirty five years before he became in charge of Eastern Command and I retired. Do me a favor, tell him Harold Walton said hello.” The man, now known as Harold, asked Roy.

“Will do.” Roy promised, shaking the man’s hand as they both went back to their seats.

“Well that was... interesting...” Riza said softly, as Roy wrapped his arm around her.

“Yep.” Roy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“So Grumman _is_....?” Riza asked, trailing off.

“Seems very likely.”

* * *

East City seemed lovely. It was much bigger then her old town, though not as small as the way Roy has always described Central. It seemed to consist mostly of close together town homes and mom and pop shops.

During the taxi ride to the military base where their home was, Riza could see several schools. Some where for little kids, others for older ones. Based on the matching outfits the students wore, at least one of them was a private school.

All of the schools were bigger then the tiny school she went to.

Her town’s school consisted of three classrooms: one for the kids ages four to nine, a second for those ten to thirteen, and a third for teenagers fourteen to eighteen. After the three classrooms was a cafeteria, a small library, and a room meant solely for offices for the principal and what few faculty members the school had.

_I wonder what kind of school our children will go to?_

When they finally did get to their new home, Riza was awestruck by its simplicity.

Their home was a simple red brick home, with a small front porch and several windows with white shutters covering the front of the two stories. The railings to the steps and front porch were made from cast iron and there was a small spot next to the porch for flowers.

“I know it’s not much-“

“It’s _perfect_.” Riza smiled, kissing his cheek. _Because it looks nothing like the hell hole I spent sixteen and a half years in._

They each picked up their suitcases as Roy dig into his coat pocket for the key to the front door.

“There should be spare keys in a drawer in the kitchen, if not I’ll make sure there’s a spare made for you as soon as possible.” Roy told her, unlocking the front door.

They didn’t have much in their home. A small black couch and coffee table placed in front of a fire place, a small dining room table and two chairs in the corner. A staircase was to the left of the front door, and across the living room from the front door was a doorway to the kitchen. Walking around on the dark hardwood floors, Riza could see two doors, one under the staircase, a closet, and another on the wall adjoined to the kitchen doorway, a half bathroom.

“Do you know when our things we had loaded into the truck will arrive?” Riza asked him, sitting her suitcase down by the couch.

“From what I was told, sometime today.” Roy answered.

Nodding, Riza made her way up the stairs, her hand gripping the white wooden banister as she did. The hallway was pretty narrow, not too narrow but not as wide as her parents home had been. There were six doors, two on one side, three on the other side of the hall, and one at the end. One of the three doors was a linen closet, the other two were small bedrooms. The two doors on the opposite side was a bathroom and a third small bedroom.

The door at the far end was the biggest bedroom, and the only one of the four bedrooms that had any furniture. A simple queen sized bed with no linens, two nightstands, and a wardrobe. A door in the far corner revealed _another_ bathroom to Riza.

“This place is bigger then it looks.” Riza hollered to Roy.

“Really?” He asked, entering their room.

“Four bedrooms two and a half baths. Assuming there’s not another bedroom or bathroom hiding somewhere.”

“When do you go to work?” Riza asked him.

“I have to inform Gru- your Grandfather, that I’m here in East City by five pm. But unless I was misinformed, I don’t go into work until Monday.”

“So I get two entire days with my husband?” Riza smirked at him.

“Yep!”

“Good. Because we need bedding and other things, because as nice as what they gave us is, it’s all pretty bland.” Riza snorted, crossing her arms.

“Well I am going to inform my job that I’m here. Hopefully our stuff arrives while I’m gone.” Roy said.

“Do you want me to tell Grumman who you are?” Roy asked her.

“No. _Not now_. I want you to wait until you get a better idea of what he’s like. There’s a reason why my parents didn’t keep contact with their families. I wanna know if that was my Father’s decision or if there is a different reason for it.”

“I understand.” Roy said, kissing her forehead.

“I should be back soon. I hope. I love you.”

“I love you more.”

* * *

Their things arrived twenty minutes after Roy left.

“Where would you like these ma’am?” One of the men asked her, as they carried in one of the four trunks.

Being called _ma’am_ had Riza doing a double take.

“Is everything alright?” The other man asked, his voice laced with confusion and concern.

“Y-Yes. I’m just _not_ used to being called ma’am. Just stick the boxes and trunks wherever, it doesn’t matter. As for the two bookcases, put them in bedroom on the right please.” Riza instructed, sitting on the couch as she watched them unload her and Roy’s things.

It took the two men fifteen minutes to bring in the four trunks, six boxes, and two empty bookcases her and Roy had brought with them.

Once they were gone, Riza decided to start unpacking. She started with the dishes, putting the cups in one cabinet and the plates in bowls in another. The cast iron skillets, Dutch oven, and the stock pot went in the lower cabinet next to the stove, the tea kettle being placed in the far corner of the kitchen counter. Riza placed the table cloth on to the small table they were provided, but upon discovering it was too big, folded it up and put it back into the trunk to deal with later. She put two of the place mats, napkins, and the napkin rings on the bare table instead The remaining napkins, place mats, and napkin rings went into one drawer, and the flatware went into another.

After the kitchen items were put away, Riza began to unpack the books, taking them upstairs. The educational books of her Fathers that Roy decided to keep for himself going on one shelf, the books of her Mothers that she kept for herself going on the other.

She was halfway done unpacking when Roy came home.

“Well you’ve been _productive_.” He said, eyebrows raised.

“ _Bored_ is a better description.” Riza corrected him.

“How’s the nausea?” He asked.

“Better. What’s my Grandpa like?”

“Don’t know.” Roy shrugged. “He was in a meeting with someone. I had to leave a message with his adjacent that I was here.”

“I see. I would ask you if you wanted to break in the bed, but I’m so exhausted I’d rather just sleep.” Riza sighed.

“That’s one way to break it in.”

* * *

The first thing Riza did when she woke up the next morning was empty the what little contents her stomach contained into the toilet of the master bathroom.

She didn’t even think she was being that loud until she felt Roy rubbing his hand up and down her back.

“Pretty obvious by now that I _am_ pregnant.” Riza sighed, resting her forehead against the rim of the toilet.

“I know. But I’d still rather have a doctor confirm it before we get too excited.” Roy sighed, continuing to rub her back.

“Do I look excited to y-“

At this point only stomach acid was coming up.

“Look on the bright side, she’ll be worth it.” He cooed.

“S-She?” Riza gasped out between vomiting.

“Yep. _She_. It’s going to be a _girl_.”

“Nope. _Boy_. I’m calling it now.” Riza scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Roy snorted, not believing her.

“You still like the names we picked back when we thought you were pregnant two years ago?”

“I do if you do.” She said, earning a nod from Roy.

“But I do mean it, Riza. Regardless of what gender we have, they _are_ going to be worth it.” He reassured her.

“I know.” Riza mumbled, agreeing with him, a small smile on her face.

And then she threw up again.

* * *

Their first week in East City went by with a blur.

Roy went to work the following Monday at eight am, leaving Riza alone for an extended period of time for the first time since the day Roy had come home from the Academy.

Her doctors appointment to confirm if she’s pregnant or not isn’t until Thursday at noon, so she has plenty of time to kill.

She spends most of Monday morning in bed, a package of crackers and a cup of cold mint tea next to her on the nightstand. The only time she gets up is to go to the toilet and vomit.

 _This throwing up every eight and a half minutes crap better stop soon, or else me and Roy are going to be one and done_. Riza let out a groan, slowly standing up to brush her teeth yet again.

She knew that the baby- _if_ she was pregnant, they were both saying if until a medical professional confirmed it even though they both knew by now that she was without a doubt pregnant- would be worth it. A tiny little life that was created out of love ( _and lets face it, a lot of lust_ ) with ten tiny fingers and ten itty bitty toes, with jet black hair and enchantingly dark eyes.

Riza knows enough about genetics to know that any and all children they do have will not be a blonde like herself, instead all of them will sport Roy’s black hair. Either of their eye colors has a fifty-fifty shot, and she doesn’t know enough to determine eye shape.

Everything else is a simple luck of the draw.

Riza is still scared she inherited her Mothers problems. Just because she’s pregnant, doesn’t mean that they’ll have a baby. _Anything_ could happen. Roy, _bless him_ , tells her _not_ to worry. That they will become parents when fate decides its their time, not before. But she just _can’t_ help it.

Riza _wants_ this baby. She wants _every_ single baby her and Roy will ever create together. She wants to watch the lanky teenager she’s known since she was barely ten years old to hear the words “ _Dada_ ” and to receive Father’s Day presents every summer and to one day teach their offspring Alchemy if they wish to learn it from him.

She wants to give him a _son_.

Riza knows, she _knowsknowsknows_ , that Roy doesn’t care if they have all daughters. That having a son, his own little mini me, isn’t all that important to him. And she knows that she’s _lucky_ to have married _him_ instead of being _unlucky_ like _Cleo August_ had been.

But after being told by her own Father for nearly sixteen and a half years that she was _stupid_ and _worthless_ and _useless_ all because she _had_ been born a daughter, Riza couldn’t help but be petrified over not having a son.

But despite what Berthold Hawkeye told her her entire life, Riza _isn’t_ stupid. She _knows_ she’s being irrational, and she blames it on the surge of hormones that her and Roy’s future first born is causing her.

She’s glad she didn’t get pregnant on the morning after her and Roy’s wedding. She knows, after what her Father did to _her_ not even six months after Roy left, that he _would_ have hurt the baby if she had gotten pregnant and stayed with him. And Riza knows that if the baby had been a tiny precious little _girl_ , Berthold would have killed her.

He would’ve done it during the night, smothered her with a pillow or used some sick and twisted form of Alchemy to stop her heartbeat while Riza slept in the same exact room, and told her in the morning when she woke him up screaming in hysterics over her _cold_ and _lifeless_ newborn baby, that it was probably that strange phenomenon that causes babies to die for no reason-

Those thoughts have Riza vomiting once more.

* * *

Her doctor appointment Thursday afternoon isn’t what she’s expecting.

Riza figured she find out then and there if she was pregnant, not have blood drawn and a urine sample be taken, only to then get told “ _We’ll call you on Monday during office hours to tell you your tests results. Have a wonderful rest of your day, Mrs. Mustang!_ ” before metaphorically shoving her out of the exam room.

She’s back home and bored out of her skull before one o’clock.

_Ugggghhhhh!_

Riza doesn’t know what to do. Normal wives would be cleaning their house, cooking meals, taking care of their little ones, chit chatting with friends, or shopping while their husbands were away at work.

But those aren’t really options for her. Their home is clean, it’s no where near dinner time nor is she hungry herself, she doesn’t have any children to take care of yet, she has no friends here at the moment, and while she knows Roy does get an okay paycheck every week, despite his rank of a fresh out of the Academy Corporal, she knows it’s not much and she would definetly rather have food on the table then a new pair of shoes.

So she decides to take a walk around the military base where their home is. Riza knows they’ll be living in East City for roughly five years, but has no idea how long they’ll be living in their current home. It was a question she never thought to ask Roy.

The base is simple. Lots of houses ranging in sizes, some are bigger than her and Roy’s while most are smaller, a few apartment buildings here and there, a decent sized park with benches and a playground for young children, and a wonderfully large pool that she will _never_ be able to enjoy.

Behind the pool, Riza notices a decent sized building with a large glass door and no windows that she can see from where she’s at. Curiously, but making sure to stay cautious in case she’s not allowed near that building as a civilian _and_ a woman, she walks towards the beige building and knocks on the door.

A portly bald man answers the door a few moments later.

“Yes ma’am?” He asked, no sign of cruelty in his voice over being bothered by her.

“Excuse me, but if you don’t mind me asking, what exactly is this building?” Riza asked him.

“Civilian self defense building.” He answered.

“The what?”

He snorted, a simple smile on his face. “Civilian self defense building. It allows the families of military personnel to take self defense courses. Martial arts, boxing- even teaches you how to use a gun. Anyone over the age of five is welcome to attend classes.” 

_Interesting_.

“But girls and those under the ages of thirteen need _permission_ from their husbands and fathers.” He explained to Riza.

_Of course they do._

“Thank you for answering, sorry to interrupt whatever it is you were doing.” Riza said politely, bowing her head.

“Not a problem ma’am. You have a good afternoon.” He told her, turning to walk back into the building as Riza turned to walk away.

“You too Sir.” She said over her shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chonky- refers to a person of Chinese heritage with white attributes whether being a personality aspect or physical aspect.  
> Gook- a derogatory term for Asians first used by the U.S. military against South-East Asians.  
> Coon- a racial slur used pejoratively to refer to a person of African, Australian Aboriginal, or Pacific island heritage.  
> Chink- is an English language ethnic slur usually referring to a person of Chinese descent.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For any one curious, you guys are probably wondering why the lengths of the chapters are so... scattered. I'll post one chapter that is 6,000 words and the next one will be barely 3,500 words.
> 
> Here is why:
> 
> Unless I decided that the chapter is going to end with a cliff hanger (ex: chapters 5, 6, & 7) I essentially end a chapter when I'm bored with writing it.
> 
> It's also why I am able to spit out chapters every 1-3 days. Covid-19 is also a reason for that, but it's not the main reason.
> 
> But here's my question, and I really want EVERYONE'S opinion on this.
> 
> Would y'all rather me write 2-3 chapters, combine them into one chapter that'll be (average) 7,500+ words, but only post roughly once a week/ten days?
> 
> OR
> 
> Would y'all rather me continue posting as I have been?
> 
> I'm okay either way, I'm just curious as to what you guys think/want.

Lieutenant General Albert George Grumman was the strangest man that Roy had ever met in his entire life.

He wasn’t strange like his late Son-in-Law had been. Berthold Hawkeye’s strangeness was one that caused people in cringe and shy away in fear and discomfort, feeling sympathy for his only daughter, but ultimately doing _nothing_ for her in terms of getting her a better home life.

No. Albert Grumman, or Al as he liked to be called, was strange in an _entertaining_ way.

Roy found it very hard _not_ to laugh when he or one of his fellow rank members got their asses chewed and handed back to them by a Colonel or a Major, usually for a stupid reason or no reason at all, who then got an ass chewing of their own from Grumman _because_ they yelled at the lower ranking members.

So Grumman cared about the under dog, or at least he appeared to. What an _interesting_ career path Roy had chosen.

He couldn’t wait until he was able to take the State Alchemist exam in Central City. The exam was held every six months, and you were required to have a representative that was a rank of Major or higher to be able to even take the exam.

While Roy was confident in his skills with Flame Alchemy (he nearly set the chicken coop at old Hawkeye estate on fire, much to his _delight_ and Riza’s _horror_ ) he was having no luck on the representative aspect of it.

The next exam was three months away. And with a possible baby on the way, the extra money from being a State Alchemist and the pay raise from becoming a Major was very beneficial.

It wasn’t that he didn’t make a lot of money as a Corporal, because he did. He definitely brought in more money every two weeks then Berthold Hawkeye brought in Riza’s entire life. Roy just never wanted to have to worry about their financial stability, especially since he and Riza desired to have a large family.

This was where his secret Grandfather-in-Law came in.

Grumman, for whatever reason all his own, had taken a liking to Roy. He didn’t know why the old man liked talking to him- although he did suspect that Grumman knew he was married to his granddaughter- he just did.

“Sir, if you don’t mind me asking, but why are we playing Chess?” Roy asked, staring at the pieces on the board in front of him.

Sure he had played the game once or twice before, he just wasn’t very good at it.

“Because I wish to talk to you.” Grumman said simply.

“About?”

“I’ve read your paperwork, Mustang. It says in your file that while you grew up in Central, you spent the last four years prior to enlisting living in a small town called _Brema_.”

_Oh this is either going to be really good or really bad._

“Yes Sir, I did.” Roy nodded.

“What’s it like there?”

“Very small. Very... backwards minded when it comes to their daughter’s futures. I’m glad I’m not there anymore and there’s nothing in this world that could get me to move back there.” Roy said honestly.

“My daughter ran off with a man ten years her senior back in... let’s see, spring of 1886. Last update I managed to get of her was autumn of 1888, she and that man where living in Brema. Did you happen to meet them?”

_Just your son-in-law, Sir._

“What is your daughter’s name, Sir?” Roy asked.

“Vivian Grumman. Though since she married him it would be Hawkeye now.”

“I never met a Vivian Hawkeye while living there.”

Which was true. Vivian Hawkeye had died on February of 1892, long before Roy had entered the town in August of 1899.

“What a shame. I would love to know what happened to her. Do you know anything about her husband, Berthold?”

“Not a lot.” Roy sighed.

“I feel like you’re not telling me everything, Mustang. Why is that?”

“It’s... not really my business to tell you...” He informed Grumman.

“I swear, whatever it is, won’t hinder your career in anyway.” Grumman said sincerely. “But I have a feeling that you are hiding something.” He frowned.

_Because I am. Your son-in-law was an abusive, misogynistic, bastard to your granddaughter- and possibly your daughter back when she was alive- he forced your granddaughter to marry me less then four months after she turned fourteen, he tattooed alchemic research on her BACK and tricked her in order to do so._

“How about we make things a little more interesting? If you tell me what it is your hiding, I’ll sponsor you for the next State Alchemist exam.”

Roy’s eyes went wide at his statement.

“W-What?”

“I’m being completely serious here, Corporal Mustang. I’ve seen you preform basic alchemy. If you think you’ve got a skill that qualifies you to be a State Alchemist, I’ll sponsor you. But if, and _only if_ , you tell me what you are keeping to yourself.” He explained.

“I. I- uh...” Roy stammered.

Grumman let out a snort of amusement.

“I’ll give you until Monday at eight am to decide. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir.”

_Oh shit. I gotta talk to Riza._

* * *

“So how was work?” Riza asked, doing the dishes as Roy entered the kitchen.

“Interesting. How was the doctors?” He asked.

“They will tell me the results on Monday.” She scoffed. “Now why are you acting like something is wrong?”

“I had a conversation with your grandpa today.” Roy sighed.

“Oh. Does he know who I am?”

“No. He knows I lived in Brema for a few years. He doesn’t know what happened to your mom. Last thing he heard was that she and your dad were living there, but that was in eighty-eight. He could tell I wasn’t telling him everything I knew, but instead of forcing me to talk, he gave me a... proposition.”

“Which was?”

“Tell him whatever it was I was keeping quiet about and he’d sponsor me for the State Alchemist exam in a few months.”

“So tell him!” Riza cried, draining the sink as she began to dry off the plates.

“You told me he doesn’t remind you of my Father, and at the very least he deserves to know that I exist and that my Mother passed away over a decade ago. So take my birth certificate, and our marriage certificate and show them to him. Hell, bring my parents’ death certificates with you as well.” She shrugged.

“You’re okay with me essentially using your familial ties to my superior officer to my advantage to further my career?” Roy asked, jaw dropped in shock.

“Roy. There is a ninety percent chance that we are going to be _parents_ in less than a year. Babies cost _money_. Whether you want to admit it or not, we could use the money that you being both a State Alchemist _and_ a Major would put into the bank. So if you wanna use being a Lieutenant General’s grandson-in-law to get your State Alchemist license- go for it.” Riza said sternly.

“I just don’t want people thinking every promotion I get is because I married Grumman’s granddaughter!” Roy groaned.

“Then don’t make it public knowledge. The entire military doesn’t have to know. Keep it between you and him.” Riza cried.

Roy sighed. Standing up from the kitchen table, he grabbed a spare rag and began to help Riza dry the dishes off.

“You know he’s going to most likely want to meet you.” He told her.

“I know. When does he want an answer from you?”

“By Monday morning.”

“So tell him Monday. Just don’t let anyone else besides him see the records, please.” Riza cooed, kissing his cheek.

“I love you.”

“I love you more.”

“So besides your partially pointless doctors appointment, what did you do today?”

“I discovered a civilian self defense building.”

“Really?”

“ _Mhm_. Apparently they deem it necessary for members of a soldiers family to know some form of self defense. Martial arts, boxing, shooting. All seems very interesting, especially the shooting aspect.”

“So you wanna learn how to shoot a gun?”

“Yep.” Riza nodded.

“Go for it. It’s a lot of fun, and pretty relaxing.”

“As a married woman, I need my husband's permission in order to take any of the classes they offer.” She informed him with an obviously fake smile on her face.

“Because of course you do.” Roy scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“One day- one day- I will remember that most of this country views woman as property. I’ll figure out how to let you enroll tomorrow.” He said, kissing her cheek.

* * *

At eight am on Monday, Roy entered Grumman’s office, saluting him with one had and holding a Manila envelope in the other.

“At ease, Mustang. What’s that in your hand?” Grumman asked him.

“The answers to your questions.” Roy informed him.

“Well hand it over then.” Grumman laughed.

“Before I do, I want you to make a promise to me. One that’s more important then you saying you’ll sponsor me for the State Alchemist’s exam.”

“Oh really. What’s that?”

“Everything in this folder, stays between us. No one else in the entire military can know.”

“Hmm. Must be serious. Alright then, I swear.” Grumman said, placing his right hand over his heart.

Without uttering another word, Roy handed him the file and sat down in the chair on the other side of the desk. Grumman opened it, letting the documents fall out on to his desk.

“So my daughter Vivian died February 19th, 1892?” He frowned, reading her death certificate.

“Yes Sir. I’m not sure what of though.”

“And I... have a Granddaughter?” He asked, eyes wide with shock and happiness.

“Yes Sir.”

“What’s Elizabeth like? Do you know her?” Grumman asked, clearly having not seen their marriage certificate.

“She goes by _Riza_ , absolutely _hates_ being called Elizabeth. A bit shy, but very nice. I’m guessing she takes after her Mother, since she doesn’t resemble her Father.” Roy told him.

“You seem to know a lot about her.” Grumman smirked.

“She’s my _wife,_ Sir.”

Grumman’s jaw dropped. _No wonder Mustang wanted to keep what he had to say to himself. And why he wants to keep it between us._

“She is? She’s living _here_ , in East City?”

“Yes Sir. Over on the Maple housing base.”

“How long have two been married?”

Roy groaned at his question.

“It’s a... _complicated_ situation.”

“Tell me anyway.”

And so he did. Roy told him how Berthold, who had been his Alchemy teacher, had decided Riza needed to get married at fourteen. How he, for whatever reason, agreed to let Roy marry her, despite knowing he was enlisting and hating the military. He let Grumman know that while he without a doubt love Riza more then anything _or_ anyone, the main reason he agreed to marry her in the first place was so she wouldn’t be married off to a _complete stranger_.

He did _not_ , however, mention her tattoo _or_ the possible baby on the way.

“When did you figure out she was my Granddaughter?”

“A little more then a month ago, after her Father died. We found documents in the attic. Her birth certificate, deed to the house, both of her parents birth certificates. Her Mother’s birth certificate said her maiden name was Grumman. I didn’t know your first name at the time, so I figured she was either your daughter or a niece.”

“When did you find out my first name?”

“On the train from Brema to East City. Ran into an old army buddy of yours- _a Harold Walton, he says hello by the way_ \- mentioned your first name.”

Grumman nodded, taking it all in.

“Tell my Granddaughter I wish to meet her.” He begged.

“I’ll tell her. But if she doesn’t want to meet you, I won’t force her to. I told her before we got married, that I would never force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. That includes meeting members of her own family.”

“I understand.”

* * *

Riza was awoken at exactly nine am Monday morning by the phone ringing.

“That had _better_ be the doctor...” she growled, stomping over to pick the phone up.

“Hello?”

“ _Is this Riza Mustang?_ ”

“Yes this is she.”

“ _I’m here with your test results. Congratulations Mrs. Mustang, you’re pregnant!_ ” The receptionist told her excitedly.

“Oh that’s wonderful!” Riza gasped.

“ _Your next appointment with Dr Mason is scheduled for next Tuesday at ten am. We will see you then._ ”

“Okay. Thank you.” Riza said, hanging up.

 _Pregnant_. She was pregnant. She was going to have a baby. Her and Roy were going to be parents. _They wanted this_. They wanted this so badly, more then anything in the world. And it was going to happen. Her test results confirmed it.

They no longer had to say _if_ she was pregnant.

“Your Daddy is going to be so happy to hear this.” She whispered softly, a smile on her face as she placed her hand on her still flat stomach.

And then she ran to the bathroom to throw up.

* * *

When Roy came home several hours later, he collapsed on the couch next to her.

“How was work?” She asked, closing her book and placing it on the coffee table next to her cup of tea.  
“Good. Your Grandpa wants to meet you. I told him it was up to you.” Roy informed her.

“How was your day?”

“I’m _pregnant_.” She smiled.

“You are?” He gasped, sitting up.

Riza nodded, trying to fight back tears of joy. He kissed her on the lips, before laying his head down on her lap, his face to her belly.

“Hi there baby. It’s Daddy. You have no idea how much me and your Mommy _love_ you. We can’t wait to finally meet you.” He cooed, kissing her stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I wrote Grumman kind of OOC. I apologize for that.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far everyone is saying for me to stick to the short chapters, mainly because they like the frequent updates. Which, honestly, really surprises me. Because I've had people (not to me) complain when chapters are shorter then 5k unless its a drabble or a one-shot.  
> So I honestly assumed most people preferred longer chapters. Either way, I am glad y'all were honest with me.  
> BUT, because I know that people do prefer longer chapters, I am going to try to make every chapter 3,000 words or more. The only reason why this chapter isn't 3,000 words is because I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer.  
> This is based on FF's Doc Manager word count- I do not have Microsoft word, nor can I afford it. My ass is a babysitter, and my employees are not considered "essential works".  
> Thank God I still live at home with my parents, because I would probably be homeless right now. Because I live in the States, and sometimes... we suck. And no one that lives in or out of the USA can convince me otherwise.

Al Grumman was _nervous_. And he did _not_ like this fact one bit.

It was the Saturday after Roy Mustang had told him that not only was his sweet little Vivian- his _only_ daughter and _only_ child to survive passed infancy- had left this world _before_ him _and_ her Mother, but that she left behind a daughter, their granddaughter, who was now Roy Mustang’s wife.

He had known for five days now, and he idea how to tell Matilda that they had what they had always wanted.

A _grandchild_.

“Al? You’ve been acting so strange lately. What is it?” Matilda sighed, sitting in her chair as she sipped her herbal tea.

“I just have had a lot on my mind Tilda.” Al sighed.

How could he tell her? How could he tell his wife of damn over forty years that she had outlived _all_ four of their children, and that she had a granddaughter?

She was a _Grandmother_!

Of course, Matilda has long since suspected, and frankly accepted, that they had lost Vivian. They lost her when she ran off with _Berthold Hawkeye_ , an odd and scrawny boy ten years her senior from a high class family, because they told her they gave her hand to one _Sebastian Hakuro III_ , a fresh out of the Academy charming twenty-one year old, who at the time, reminded Al of himself at that age.

Now he was _glad_ Sebastian _hadn’t_ became his son-in-law. He was a Brigidiar General now, and while Al didn’t know what he was like at home with his wife and newborn son, he was a jackass at work.

But Sebastian loved and adored his wife _Suzanne_ , and their sweet little baby boy _Sebastian IV_. He rarely talked about them at work, but when he did, his eyes would light up as though they were the greatest thing in the world to him.

But that didn’t change the fact that in uniform, Sebastian was a pain in the ass at work. Like a bad toothache.

Or a hemorrhoid.

“Albert. You can tell me. It can’t be all that bad.” Matilda sighed, putting her cup down.

“I don’t know how to.” He sighed.

Getting up out of her chair, Matilda moved to stand in front of her husband, crouching down to look at him at eye level.

“Al, how long have we been married?” She asked.

“Forty one years this December.”

“And how many children did we have?”

“Four. George, Zachary, Michael, and Vivian.” He reminded her.

“And how many of them did we outlive?” She asked, having a feeling her husband knew for sure what became of their only daughter.

“.... All four of them...” Al sighed, confirming her suspicions.

Matilda frowned, trying not to cry.

“W-when did Vivian die?”

“ _February 19th of 1892_.”

“She’s been with her brothers for nearly fourteen years, and we had no clue. What happened to Berthold? Do you know?”

“He died back in October, a little over a month ago. I do not know how either of them died.”

“How... how did you learn of their deaths...?” Matilda asked, confused.

Al let out an amused snort, smiling at his wife, taking her hand in his own before kissing it.

“Our Grandson-in-Law told me.”

“Grandso- we have a Granddaughter?” She gasped.

“Mhm. Her name is _Elizabeth Ann_ , but she goes by _Riza_. She was born _May 13th, 1889_. She got married to her husband, who’s a Corporal under my command, on _September 3rd, 1903_. They didn’t even realize what her Mother’s maiden name until after her Father died.” George explained to her.

“Berthold made her marry off at _fourteen_? Sure we planned Vi’s engagement at _fifteen_ , but her wedding _wasn’t_ to happen until she was _eighteen_!” Matilda gasped.

“What’s her husband even like?” She snapped.

“He’s a _very_ nice boy. His name is Roy. Berthold was his Alchemy teacher. He has known Riza since she was ten and he was fourteen. He somehow managed to convince Berthold to let him marry her, mainly so she wouldn’t marry a complete stranger.” George told Matilda.

“... Any great grand babies...?”

“None as of now.”

“He come from good stock?”

 _Good stock_. A crude term used to describe members of socially and financially high class families. The Armstrong’s, Hakuro's, Grumman’s, Raven’s, and Hawkeye’s were all prime examples of such families.

Berthold had been a _very rare bad egg_ in his family’s lineage.

“Not like us, no. But he’s ambitious. Got a good head on his shoulders. All things considering, I rather like the boy. He’s a bit nervous around me, but I chalk that up to him not knowing how to tell me he’s my grandson by marriage and not a personality trait.”

“Have you met her, our Granddaughter?”

“No. But...”

“But what?”

“I might’ve invited them over for brunch tomorrow. They have our address, I do not know if they will show up.” Al told her.

“Brunch tomorrow? Oh dear. I have to decide what to have Julie make.” Matilda sighed, referring to their cook.

* * *

Riza _couldn’t_ leave the couch. She just sat there, in a white high neck blouse, blue knee length flowy skirt, silk thigh high stockings, and black Mary Jane heels. Her winter coat was hanging on the coat rack by the door.

“Riza...?” Roy started, frowning.

“What... what if they _don’t like me_...?” Riza mumbled softly, eyes locked on to the unlit fireplace.

“You’re their Granddaughter. They’re going to love you.” Roy reassured her, leaning over the couch to kiss her cheek.

“I was my Father’s daughter and the first time I heard him say he loved me was the day he died. And we both know he _didn’t_ really mean it. It was just whatever sickness he had turning his brain to _mush_ in the end...”

“Riza, honey. You are worrying over absolutely _nothing_.” Roy cooed, taking her hand to hold it.

_Stressing out isn’t good for the baby..._

“I don’t know if I have any extended family besides them. You have your Aunt. She loves you and it seems like she likes me. And through her you have your sisters.” Riza frowned.

“This is all completely new to me.”

“I don’t know _anyone_ on my Mom’s side of the family. Don’t know _anything_ about her life before she met my Dad. If it wasn’t for the fact that I saw a picture of her once and that she mentioned it to my Aunt, I _wouldn’t_ even know she was from _Xing_. I can't even tell you what her maiden name was. So I do know what you’re going through. I understand how you feel.” Roy told her, sitting on the couch next to her.

“I know you’re nervous. But it’ll be okay.” He said, kissing her on the lips.

“And if I’m wrong and you’re right, and it ends up being a complete disaster, you’ll never have to see them again. I _promise_.”

Perhaps it was the hormones caused by her pregnancy, or the kind and reassuring words Roy had said to calm her down. But Riza found herself with the uncontrollable desire to tackle him to the floor. Instead, she just swung her leg over his to straddle him on the couch.

“ _Mmm_.... How long until we have to be there?” She moaned.

“Not long. We have to be there in less then an hour.” He grunted, feeling her hand slip into his slacks, grasping his dick in her hand.

“Roy? I wanna... try something...” She mumbled, her hands unbuckling his belt.

“What?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Riza said nothing. Instead choosing to climb off of his lap and sink to her knees on the hardwood floor in front of him.

“R-Riza. You d-don’t have to do this.” He stuttered, knowing what she wanted to try.

“But I _want_ to.” She pouted, unzipping his slacks and removing his half erect member.

“O-okay. Just go slow. Don’t overwhelm yourself.” He grunted, as her hand slowly pumped him. He wanted to talk her through it, but it’s hard to talk someone through something you’ve never experienced.

“Any advice you wanna give me?” She asked, squeezing him gently.

“Yeah. Be c-careful with your _teeth_.” Roy hissed.

Riza nodded, a small smile on her face, her cheeks flushed red. Once he was fully hard, she lowered her head, experimentally kissing the head of his dick, earning a groan from Roy as she did so. A small bead of clear liquid smeared across her bottom lip, and Riza pulled away to lick her bottom lip, tasting it.

 _Salty_.

Feeling a bit bold, Riza pulled her face away from his tip, running her tongue slowly from the base of his shaft back up to the tip.

“ _Ohh_!” She heard Roy moan, and when she glanced up, she saw that his head had been thrown back, eyes clamped shut.

_Now he knows how I feel when he shoves his tongue inside of me._

She repeats the action, but instead of one slow swipe of her tongue, she kisses her way up his shaft, her lips ending at his slit.

But Riza wants to give him more. So, remembering to be careful with her teeth, she wraps her lips around the head, engulfing his dick into her mouth as much as she can, only able to take about half of his length into her mouth before she feels like she might choke on him.

She hears Roy groan, and feels him buck his hips, and Riza has to use her hands to hold him still. She lifts her head up slightly, sucking him as she does, and she absentmindedly hears a gasp from Roy. As childish as it sounds, the whole act honestly reminds Riza of when Jane’s Mother used to give them and her older brother Kevin popsicles when they were little kids.

Only _warmer_.

The thought amused her, and she hummed. The vibrations of her mouth had Roy practically shaking, and when Riza repeated the action, this time as a moan, she felt his fingers grip her hair, keeping her head there.

 _Well then..._ She hummed, smirking as she heard her husband moan again, _at least I know I’m not doing too bad of a job_. Riza started to bob her head up and down, sucking and moaning his dick as she did, one of her hands squeezing what her mouth couldn’t take while the other kept him still. It didn’t take long before she heard Roy groan her name, and felt his cock twitch in her mouth as his seed spilled into her mouth.

And like the dutiful wife that she was, _she swallowed every drop._

Once his dick was soft again, Riza released him from her mouth. She stood back up, straightened out her skirt, and told him in a teasing tone, “Hurry up or we’ll be late.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I'm a girl who's never given a blow job, I have no idea how to write THAT kind of a scene. *screams in awkward*  
> Y’all think I’m playing? That one scene- that one little bitty ass scene- is why this chapter took so long be posted. Took my ass several days of awkward cringe to write it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO SORRY for such a long wait. Life happened (I turned 24 day before Mother’s Day) and my muse decided to take a vacation. Please forgive me.

Albert and Matilda Grumman’s house made Berthold and Vivian Hawkeye’s home look like a shoe box left out in the rain.

It was _huge_.

“Is their home that big because he’s a General?” Riza gasped, jaw dropped.

“I... have no idea... Holy shit.” Roy stuttered.

It was very clear to both of them that Vivian had grown up very differently, financially wise, then her daughter did. Riza couldn’t even begin to imagine _how_ her Mother had ended up meeting and marrying her Father. _Perhaps Mother married for love and not money?_ Which Riza could understand. While she had had no say in her marriage to Roy, she did love him.

And his paycheck or bank account wasn’t _anywhere_ on the list of things she loved about him.

Cautiously, they both walked up the walkway to the front door. Riza sensed Roy’s nervousness, and was flabbergasted.

“Why are you nervous?” She gasped.

“He might be your Grandpa, Riza, but he’s also my _boss_. _I_ don’t get the luxury of avoiding him like the plague if things turn to _shit_.” Roy grumbled, kissing her cheek as he rung the doorbell. A woman in her thirties, who was clearly a maid based on her outfit, answered the door.

“Hello. May I help you two?” She asked politely.

“Andrea, who is it?” A voice called from inside the house.

“I don’t know, Mrs. Grumman.” The maid, now known as Andrea, answered.

“Alright, I’ll be there in a moment.” She said, and Roy and Riza heard footsteps as who they now knew to be Riza’s maternal grandmother come to the front door.

“Hello, how many I- oh dear Lord, you look just like your Mother.” Matilda gasped, locking eyes with Riza, her hand covering her mouth.

Matilda Grumman was an elderly woman, with dark gray hair pulled back into a tight bun. She wore a white silk blouse and maroon floor length skirt, with white silk gloves on her hands. Riza recognized her own eye color in the woman’s eyes and wondered if she’d resemble the woman before her fifty years from now.

“Hello ma’am.” Riza said politely.

“ _Ah ah ah_.” Matilda tsked at her Granddaughter.

“I am your Grandma, you shall address me as such. I will not have my only grandchild referring to me as ma’am.” She told her, her words stern but her tone polite.

“ _You_ , young man,” She said, turning to Roy, “May call me ma’am. Am I clear?” Matilda asked.

“Yes Ma’am.”

“Yes Grandma.”

“Good. Come inside. Andrea, inform my husband that our Granddaughter and her husband are here.”

“Yes Mrs. Grumman.” Andrea nodded, quickly walking up the grand staircase.

“Just to ensure I was correct in my statement, you _are_ my only Grandchild, yes?” Matilda asked, leading them to the sitting room.

“I’m my Mother’s only child. Father never mentioned any other relatives growing up.” Riza spoke.

“Then yes, you are my only Grandchild.” Matilda cooed, sitting down in one of the teal velvet chairs. She motioned for her Granddaughter and her husband to sit on the matching loveseat, while they waited for Al to join them.

“Grandma, may I ask you a question?” Riza asked timidly.

“You, my dear, may ask any question about our family that you wish. You have a lot of catching up to do.” Matilda informed her.

“How do you guys have such a huge home? Is it because of Grandpa’s job?”

While she didn’t care about Roy’s paycheck- just as long as they were financially better off then she and her Father had been during her childhood- Riza couldn’t help but be curious about just how much her Grandpa made at such a high military rank.

“Oh heavens dear. Don’t get me wrong, the pay of a Lieutenant General is quite hefty, but no. Most of this comes from family money.“ Matilda explained.

“We Grumman’s are what society calls ‘ _Old money_ ’ sweetheart.” A gruff voice spoke from the doorway.

Riza turned her head and saw an older man with a large grey mustache and round glasses. He wore a simple dark grey button up, black slacks, and light gray house shoes.

“Hello.” Riza said politely, not entirely sure this was her Grandpa.

Based on the nervous gulp she heard from Roy, she figured he was.

“She is the spitting image of our Viv, isn’t she Tilda?” Al barked out a laugh, walking over to his wife to kiss her on the cheek.

“She styles her hair differently, but yes, she does.” Matilda cooed.

“Now with that all being said, come with me Riza. Let’s leave our husbands to chit chat. I have a lot of catching up to do with you.” Matilda said, taking Riza’s arm and leading her out of the room.

“Hey! Maybe I wanna catch up with her!” Al pouted.

“You work with her husband. You know more about her then I do.” Matilda scoffed, waving her hand in a dismissive motion.

“She does know we do things besides discuss our wives, correct?” Roy mumbled lowly.

“I don’t think she cares...” Al sighed, as they watched Matilda drag Riza up the stairs.

“Come on my boy, you owe me a game of chess.”

* * *

Riza trailed behind her Grandma as they walked down the hallway. She couldn’t help but study the women as she walked. Everything about Matilda Grumman was different then herself. The older woman walked with _confidence_ ; head up, shoulders straight, spine perfect. Meanwhile Riza stared at her feet with her shoulders slouched as she walked.

But that’s what going through sixteen years of every type of abuse save for sexual at the hands of your own Father does to you.

It destroys any confidence you should’ve had growing up.

“Grandma, where are we going?” Riza asked.

“To your Mother’s old room...” Matilda replied softly, a small yet sad smile on her face.

“Grandma?”

“Yes?”

“What was my Mother like?” Riza questioned timidly, reminding Matilda that she had been very young when Vivian passed away.

“She was kind and compassionate. Your Grandpa always referred to her as a _Spitfire_ , someone who does not let _anyone_ walk all over them.” Matilda explained.

She internally winced, deciding then and there to never mention to her Grandparents that, while she was very young when her Mother passed away, what few memories she had of her consisted of Vivian going _“Yes, Berthold.”_ and _“Of course, dear.”_ when speaking to her husband and Riza’s Father. 

Riza would spend the rest of her life wondering why Vivian didn’t run back to her parents and her old life long before her birth.

When they got to Vivian’s old room, Riza was surprised by its simplicity when compared to the rest of the house. While the majority of the house had large paintings, patterned wallpaper, and large pieces of furniture, her Mother’s childhood bedroom didn’t have any of that.

There was a large queen sized bed in the center of the back wall, a vanity and chair in front of the large window, a reading knook in the far corner, a desk on the wall opposite the window and vanity, a glass cabinet was next to the door, and a tufted loveseat with a large fur rug was in the center of the room. All the wood on the furniture was white, the upholstery and fabrics were a pale pink velvet, and any hardware that Riza could see was a soft, white gold.

Vivian’s room remind Riza of a princess’ room in old fairytales.

“Her room is lovely.” Riza mumbled softly.

“It is. She decorated it herself. Everything from the paint on the walls to the throw pillows on her bed.” Matilda cooed.

“So your Grandfather tells me that Roy was your Father’s apprentice in Alchemy?”

“Yes, he was. From the summer of 1899 to when he joined the military two years ago.” Riza nodded, as the two went to sit on the loveseat.

“I’m surprised Berthold was okay with having his son-in-law enlist. From what I recall of him, he was very anti military.” Matilda said.

“I’m surprised he even let Roy marry me, since he knew of his plans before we even became engaged. Did you ever meet my Father? Before he and my Mother ran off?” Riza questioned.

“Yes. I have invited Berthold’s own Mother over for tea a plethora of times.”

_Excuse me?_

“Wait- what? You know my other Grandmother?” Riza gasped.

“Why of course, dear. Despite your Father’s... eccentric qualities, he and your Mother had a very similar upbringing.” Matilda stated.

The elderly woman could tell by the look of shock on her granddaughter’s face that all of this information was new to her.

“You... did not know this? Did you, Riza?”

“No. I didn’t. Believe me when I say I did not grow up even close to the way of _either_ of my parents did.” Riza sighed.

“How was it different, if you do not mind me asking?”

“Well for starters, the largest room in my childhood home could fit _inside_ my Mother’s childhood bedroom with room to spare.” Riza scoffed, looking around the room.

“There’s also the fact that we didn’t always have food on the table, the house- which is now up for sale because I _never_ wish to go back there- is in shambles, and my Father spent the majority of my childhood at best ignoring me and at worse smacking me around- even _after_ I was married.” Riza scoffed, clutching the hem of skirt as she stared down at her feet.

“I am... so sorry...” Matilda gasped.

“Don’t be. My Father is dead now. He’s been rotting in the ground since October, and if Hell exists that’s where his soul has been damned to. And despite forcing me to marry at fourteen, I couldn’t have asked for a better husband in Roy.” Riza gave her a Grandma a genuine smile.

“Roy sounds like a wonderful man.” Matilda mused.

“He is. I can’t wait to start a family with him.”

Riza’s words struck a chord in Matilda, and the simple statement had her asking her granddaughter a simple question.

“Riza? Are you... with child?”

Riza’s head shot up, her eyes wide with surprise. She let out a shaky breath, before nodding yes to her Grandma, a small smile on her face.

“I would greatly appreciate it if you not say anything to anyone- Grandpa especially. Me and Roy want to wait a few more weeks before we inform anyone about the pregnancy...”

The rest of that sentence, _just in case I miscarry_ , was left unsaid between the two of them.

“Did my Mother have any siblings?”

“Yes. Three older brothers; George, Zachary, and Michael. But they all passed away long before Vivian was ever conceived, much less born.” Matilda said solemnly.

“What...” Riza trailed off with a gulp, before continuing with her question “What happened to them?”

“George contacted measles when he was a year and a half old, he didn’t live long after that. Sometimes I wonder if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Zachary was a stillbirth, and Michael drowned in a fountain in a park when he was three because his nanny wasn’t watching him properly.” Matilda sighed.

“Michael’s death is why I refused to allow anyone to watch or raise Vivian other then myself or your Grandpa- even if it was just for a few hours so we could go to a military function. If I had to go somewhere with her Father, Vivian went with us. No ifs ands or buts about it. Better for a toddler to run around disturbing the peace then for me to have _four_ dead children.” Matilda sighed.

“What happened to Michael’s nanny?”

“She served ten years in jail for manslaughter and wasn’t permitted to be around any children that weren’t biologically her own afterwards.” Matilda explained.

“Oh.”

* * *

“So what do you supposed they’re up there talking about?” Roy asked about Riza and Matilda, as he stared at the chess board in front of him.

“Knowing Tilda, she took Riza up to Viv’s old bedroom to show it to her. Checkmate.” Al shrugged, laughing as he earned a groan from his Grandson-in-Law as he took victory in their game.

“I’m going to be thirty before I beat you at this game, old man.” Roy groaned.

“Eh, you’re getting better. Do you have any Alchemy skills that might earn you the title of State Alchemist?”

“More or less. I mean I do, I’m just not confident in the skills as of this moment.”

“Will you be ready when the next round of tests start? You’ve got less then six months.”

“God I hope so. The pay raise will be nice. I don’t want to have to worry about there being enough food on the table.”

“You do know that since you’re married to my only grandchild, when me and Tilda pass away she’ll get everything, right?”

Roy waved a hand dismissively. “I’d rather not discuss your mortality, Sir. Besides, I don’t want to survive solely on Riza’s inheritance.”

“Understood.” Al nodded.

“So what skill is it?”

“Fire.”

“Fire? Ooh boy! You must show me what it is you can do!” Al cackled.

“Absolutely _not_! He damn near burned down my childhood home the first time he tried to practice! Too many flammable objects are in here!” The two soldiers turned their heads and saw their wives descending the steps, a stern look on Riza’s face.

“I didn’t mean for him to do a demonstration in the middle of the parlor, dear.” Al pouted, earning a kiss on the temple from Matilda.

“Riza is right, though. I’m not well practiced enough for it to not be dangerous right now.” Roy admitted, smiling as Riza wrapped her arms around him.

“I just need a way to make it more... controlled.” He sighed.

“The _Strong Arm Alchemist_ uses gauntlets on his hands for his Alchemy. The _Silver Alchemist_ has tattoos on his hands. Perhaps you could use one of their ideas for yourself.” Al suggested.

“Maybe. How you feel about me having tattoos on my hands?” Roy asked, glancing up at Riza. _If we both had the transmutation circle for Flame Alchemy tattooed on to our skin, would that mean we have matching tattoos?_

“Wouldn’t work. You would still need a way to create a spark.” She reminded him. _Get a tattoo and die._

“True.”

“Perhaps a pair of gloves could work? There’s a material from Creta called pyrotex. I doubt it would be difficult for the transmutation circle to be sewn into them.” Matilda suggested.

Roy’s eyebrows shot up. “That might actually work. Either of you know how to get some of the material?”

“Let us handle that. Consider it a wedding present for you.” Al grinned.

“Food is ready!” Julia yelled from the kitchen.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, sorry I have no concept of time. 
> 
> Because apparently it’s been... about three months (give or take a day) since I updated this and to me it only feels like it’s been three weeks. 
> 
> Oops!

“Well that went well.” Roy said, as they entered their home following brunch with Riza’s maternal grandparents.

“Better then I thought it would.” Riza admitted, going to the kitchen to get herself a glass of water.

“So what all did you and your Grandma talk about?” He asked her, sitting down on the couch with a sigh.

“Mostly about my Mother. Apparently they were extremely over protective of her, since they lost three sons before she was ever even born.” Riza explained, sitting down next to him.

“Three? Man, that must be awful. What happened? Did she say?”

“One of them, _George_ , contacted measles. Another, _Zachary_ , was a stillbirth. The third, _Michael_ , drowned. I don’t know their birth orders or if any of them were ever alive at the same time as another.” Riza frowned, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Sometimes I think that’s worse than what my Mother went through. Losing a pregnancy before you’ve even had the chance to form a _bump_ seems a lot less depressing then having to bury a child that you got to hold, feed, and _love_.” She added.

“Yeah...” Roy mumbled, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her closer to him.

“Oh, and before I forget- my Grandma knows about the baby.”

This surprised Roy greatly. “I thought we decided not to tell anyone right away?” He asked softly, trying not to sound too upset. He had been dying to tell Christmas that she was going to get a grandchild since the doctors had confirmed it earlier that week.

“She figured it out, Roy. I don’t know how, maybe how I was acting or the fact that I told her I couldn’t wait to have a family with you. But she asked me if I was expecting, and I couldn’t lie to her.” Riza sighed.

“Okay.”

Riza isn’t stupid; she knows he’s upset. Understandably so. He wants to tell the Madam that they’re going to be having a baby that’s due in early June so badly. He has to bite his bottom lip to the point where he draws blood every time she calls them to chat. _It isn’t fair_. It isn’t right that a relative that didn’t know that Riza even _existed_ a week ago gets to know something before the women that _raised_ Roy did.

“Call Chris and tell her about the baby.” She decides simply.

“Riza...”

“No. Call and tell her. It isn’t right that my grandmother knows and she doesn’t. I made my grandmother promise not to say anything to anyone. Just make sure you have Chris promise the same thing.”

Roy smiles at her, and she can see his eyes shining with unshed tears. “I love you.” He cooed, kissing her on the lips before quickly jumping off of the couch to run to the phone. He was practically vibrating as he dialed his aunt’s phone number, trying to calm his nervous as he waited for her to answer.

“ _Hello?_ ”

Roy threw his head back in a silent groan. “Madeline, where’s my Mom?”

“ _She went out to lunch with one of her former girls, Desiree, I think the Madam said her name is. Do you know her?_ ”

“Desiree? Nah. She must’ve been from before she got me. Okay, can you have her call me when she gets home, please?” Roy sighed, trying not to sound disappointed.

“ _Alright. I’ll have her call you as soon as possible. Anything else_?” Madeline asked.

“No...”

“ _Okay, Roy. If you say so. Bye!_ ”

“Bye.”

As soon as the phone was placed back down onto the receiver, Riza was up and wrapping her arms around him from behind, her cheek pressed against his spine. “I’m sorry.” She mumbled softly.

“It’s okay. She’ll be able to learn in a few hours verses a few weeks.” He said, taking her small hands in his larger ones and giving them a gentle squeeze.

“Anything you want to do for the next few hours?” Roy asked her.

“Ohh... I can think of quite a few things.” She teased, pulling away from him. He turned around and raised an eyebrow at her, smirks gracing both of their faces.

Riza let out a squeak of pleasure when Roy picked her up and all but tossed her on to her back on the couch cushions.

Standing between the couch and coffee table, he gripped the waist band of her skirt, pulling them and her underwear down and putting them in the floor.

“You better not rip those. Stockings can be _expensive_.” She gasped, arching her hips as he sunk a finger into her, testing her arousal.

“Ohh.” She moaned, as Roy curled his finger inside of her, pumping in and out.

“Roy, p-please.” Riza begged, reaching out for his waistband.

“So needy and impatient.” He smirked, pulling his fingers out of her and licking them clean, moaning happily at the taste.

He thought she tasted _delightful_ before getting pregnant, and being pregnant had made her taste even better.

Standing up, he removed his belt, and unzipped his trousers, pushing them and his boxers down to his knees, his erection springing free. Roy moved to stand at the side of the couch, gripped both of Riza’s ankles, and pulled her closer to him, resting her ass on the arm of their couch.

The couch the army had provided them was too small for them both to lay across comfortably, so this was how they were forced to be intimate on it. Sure they could easily get a bigger couch and let the military use the one they provided for another couple, but it wasn’t on their list of priorities.

“Roy...!” Riza groaned, begging. “Quit being a tease.”

Smirking, Roy spread her legs open, his thumbs pressing into the junctures between her thighs and pelvis, slamming into her. His hands moved to grip her hipbones as moved in and out of her, grunting and groaning as Riza crossed her ankles behind him.

“Oh!” She moaned, feeling him move his hand so his thumb pad could circle her clit.

“So tight.” He gasped, a pleased grin on his face.

“So when do you think we made our baby?” Roy couldn’t help but ask her. He had been wondering when their little bean had started to grow from the moment the doctor confirmed their existence.

“The romantic part of me would like to think it was the first time we had sex after you saw what my Father had done during your absence.” Riza gasped.

“In reality though, it was probably when you shoved me on to the couch and rode me five minutes after I came home.” He laughed.

“Or when you- _uh_ \- bent me over the kitchen table later that week.” She moaned.

When Roy finished, he stilled his hips, spilling into her. Riza moaned softly, her walls milking him. They both couldn’t help but laugh in the backs of their heads. Even with their child growing in her womb, she still milked him for every drop of his spend. When he pulled out of her, he used two of his fingers to push his cum back into her, although it was more to keep it from staining the couch than anything else.

“Let me get you a rag.” He cooed, pulling his boxers back up.

“Okay.” Riza said softly, her hands on her belly.

She was imagining their baby out in the world. Would they be a delicate little girl or a rowdy little boy? Perhaps if it was a girl she’d be like Roy, headstrong and fearless. Anything would be better then a timid little thing like herself. If they were like her would they be bullied? Mocked and ridiculed for things they couldn’t control?

She must’ve been crying, because when Roy came back into the living room, he was concerned.

“Reez? Sweetie, what is it? What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” He asked, panicked as he cleaned up her inner thighs.

“Huh? Oh, nothing. I don’t really know why I was crying. Hormones, I guess... Figured I’d be further along before _that_ started.” She shrugged, smiling at him.

“Are you sure?” Roy asked. He wasn’t convinced and they both knew it.

“Mhm.” Riza nodded, sitting up to kiss him.

“I love you so much.” She grinned.

“I love you more.” Roy kissed her back.

* * *

Riza was making dinner, chicken noodle soup, when Madam Christmas called Roy back.

“ _What is it you wanted to tell me, Roy boy?_ ” She asked gruffly.

“Hey ma, I got a question for you. Are you alone?”

“ _Yes I’m alone. The girls are all downstairs. Now what is it?_ ” She sighed. She must’ve not had a good day today, because Roy could tell by her tone she was trying not to get upset.

Roy smirked, even though the Madam couldn’t see it, but Riza could. _What a dork._

“Would you like a grandson or a granddaughter?”

“.... _What?_ ”

“Would you like a gran-“

“ _I heard you the first time! Are you serious?_ ” Christmas gasped.

“Yes I’m serious!”

“ _When?_ ”

“When did it happen or when is it coming?” He asked her.

“ _When is it coming?_ ”

“Not entirely sure, but we’re thinking some time in June. Doctor will confirm it next week though.”

“ _Oh my God. You’re serious? You better not be lying to me, Roy!_ ” She snapped.

“Why would I lie to you- or anyone, for that matter- about this?” Roy questioned.

“ _I don’t know. Oh my God. I’m gonna be a Grandma. Holy mother of God._ ”

“I take it you’re happy?”

“ _Of course I’m happy!_ ” She cried.

“ _You better worship the ground Riza walks on! Least you can do for her. Poor thing better pray that baby doesn’t inherit your fat head. You nearly got stuck coming out of your Mother!_ ” Madam Christmas reminded him.

“I know. And I will. Dinners done, I’ll talk to you later. I love you.”

“ _Love you too. And give Riza a hug for me. Bye_.”

“Bye.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expect a time skip next chapter, because my goal is for the baby to be born before the end of chapter 16.
> 
> Also, you’ve probably noticed that I put an end chapter count on this story. 
> 
> Please note that that number means absolutely NOTHING, and will most likely change as the story progresses. 
> 
> I just got tired of seeing that ? on the chapter counts and decided to put a number down. 
> 
> I considered putting down 100, but decided that, realistically, the chances of this story getting to 100 chapters is slim, & I would rather make the total chapter count go up then down.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains a time skip. It isn’t a big skip. 
> 
> Based on how far along Riza was in her pregnancy last chapter compared to how far along she is in this one, I would say it’s about a four month skip.
> 
> My goal is for the baby to be out in the world sometime between chapter 17 and 20.
> 
> For anyone who isn’t really a fan of the pace this story is going, please be aware that we’re in one of the “boring as all shit” portions of the timeline. 
> 
> There’s a chance we’ll experience that again between the Elric brothers being introduced and during the part of the story where they deal with McDougal.
> 
> Also, I don’t know how frequent updates will be once we get to the point where Roy returns from Ishval, because I don’t want the storyline to be too similar to ‘The way it was’ by Fullmetalscully, because I don’t want people thinking my story is coping (unintentionally or not) Emma’s work. It’s such a good story and if you haven’t read it yet, seriously, what’s wrong with you?

“Roy! Roy! Get up!” Riza shrieked excitedly, forcefully shaking her slumbering husband, desperate to wake him up.

“Ungh. I’m awake. Wha... What is it? What’s wrong?” He groaned, yawning.

“Look!” She gushed, turning her body to the side, and lifting up her sleep shirt.

It took Roy a moment to understand, but then he saw it. A _bump_. Her stomach had extended ever so slightly, physical proof of their child growing inside of her, due in just four months.

“You have a bump now.” He said, his hand stroking her skin.

“I have a bump now. It’s finally real.” Riza grinned.

“Oh yeah, because the doctors appointments and the constant throwing up didn’t make it real before.” Roy teased, sitting up so he could lean over and kiss her belly button.

“You growing big and strong for me and your mama, aren’t you Princess?” He whispered to their baby.

“Quit calling our _son_ a princess. You’re going to end up confusing him.” She scolded, running her fingers through his hair.

Roy rolled his eyes. _Not this again_. Although he should be relieved. Out of all the things they could disagree on, he was glad the only thing was the gender of their baby. It sucked they couldn’t find out before the birth. While sonograms allowed them to see the baby move, they weren’t good enough quality to view the sex and have it guaranteed to be correct. That forced them to have no choice but to argue on whether or not they would get a son or a daughter first.

Though truth be told, Roy was more interested in their _hair color_ than their reproductive organs.

“How long have you been awake, love?” He asked, changing the subject.

“Not long. Ten minutes at most.”

“Sleep well?” Roy asked, finally climbing out of bed, stretching his arms above his head. He let out a groan of relief when his joints popped.

“Better then I have in awhile.” She smiled as he wrapped his arms around her.

“I love you.” He yawned, kissing her hair.

“I love you, too. Are you nervous to take the State Alchemist exam?”

The State Alchemist exam was at the end of the month, and the two of them were going to use the trip to Central as a chance to visit Roy’s family. The arrangements had already been made, they’d be sleeping in Roy’s old room during the week they were up there.

“Yeah. I mean, what if I completely screw it up?” He sighed.

“You _won’t_. You’ll do _wonderfully_.” Riza cooed, placing her hands on either side of his face.

It was easy for her, to reassure him when he had doubts about himself, especially about his Alchemy skills. Back when he was alive, Berthold would scream at Roy for any and all false move he made. There were times where Riza would hear him down in the kitchen, and wonder if today would be the day that Roy would finally storm out of their lives. And yet, that day would never come.

Little did she know, the reason why Roy never left was because he didn’t want to leave her behind in that decrepit home.

“I don’t deserve you.” He yawned, bending down to kiss her.

“Yes you do. And I deserve you. And nothing is ever going to change that.” She smirked, smiling as she kissed him back.

 _God I have a wonderful wife._ Roy thought blissfully.

* * *

“I wish Roy wouldn’t be so nervous about his State Alchemist exam.” Riza sighed, walking through the market with her Grandmother.

“I know dear, but it’s understandable. Nearly all of your family’s financial livelyhood depends on him passing.” Matilda said, putting a head of lettuce in a basket.

Usually she would send Julia off to do the grocery shopping, but decided to use every chance she could to spend some time with her granddaughter.

“He’s going to pass. No one has ever seen anything like it before. I overheard my Father telling him once that he’d been trying to unlock the secrets to Flame Alchemy for _decades_.”

“I see. Roy must have been very excited when Berthold finally decided to teach it to him.” Matilda mused.

Riza let out a scoff, rolling her eyes. Matilda raised a thin brow at her, and Riza decided to clarify.

“My Father _never_ taught him _anything_ beyond the basics. After he completed his research, but before he was on his deathbed, my Father made _me_ the guardian of his research. The day we put him in the ground is the day I let Roy have access to them.”

“Oh.” Matilda murmured softly.

“Mhm.”

“Do you ever wonder how different your life would be if you had married a man that wasn’t Roy?”

“Nearly every single day for over two and a half years now. Especially since most of the other men that showed any interest in me were all _fifteen to twenty_ years older then me. I think the youngest that showed up was a decade older. Oldest was around forty or so from what I was told. Luckily they all showed up while I was at school so only Roy had any interactions with them.” Riza sighed, chosing to ignoring the look of _horror_ on her Grandmother’s face.

Matilda couldn’t fathom her only granddaughter marrying at fourteen to a man nearly forty. And, to be honest, neither could Riza.

“I wouldn’t even be a fraction as happy as I am now, and this little one would most likely be my _third_ baby instead of my _first_. And me and Roy have talked about age gaps for our kids, we want there to be at _least_ four to six months between me giving me birth and getting pregnant again. If I was married to another man, I’d be lucky if my kids were more then ten months apart in age.” She sighed.

“That’s not even getting into the fact that if I had married someone else, I wouldn’t know you and Grandfather, and you guys would never have known what happened to my Mother.”

Riza decided that it would be best not to mention the fact that a different husband would be just as physically and verbally abusive as her Father had been, along with being sexually abusive, too. Or how he would react if she gave him more daughters then sons. Thinking of Cleo August still sent a chill down Riza’s spine.

“I am truly glad you married Roy, for all the reasons you mentioned and more.” Matilda sniffled, giving her a hug.

* * *

“Oh I’m _not_ looking forward to the train ride.” Riza groaned, a hand on her stomach as she sat on the bench at the station.

“Why not?” Roy asked, their suitcases resting on the ground between their feet.

“Allow me to refresh your memory on the cluster fuck known as our last train ride. The seats were uncomfortable, I was queazy due to being pregnant, while also being worried that we were wrong about thinking I might have been pregnant. And that’s not even mentioning the fact that you almost got into a fist fight with a racist asswipe, Roy.” She scoffed.

“Well I think the seats will be better. Different model of a train, and your Grandfather pod for us to have our own area. Before we got the cheapest seats available on an older model.” He smiled, kissing her on the lips.

**_“Eleven o’clock train for Central City, now boarding!”_ **

“Ungh. I _just_ got comfortable.” Riza huffed, standing up as Roy grabbed their luggage.

“You’ll be fine, sweetheart. And if you think the seats are uncomfortable on this train, then you can always sit on my lap.” He teased, kissing her cheek.

 _Sitting on your lap is what got me into this mess._ She scoffed with an eye roll.

* * *

“What if your sisters don’t like me?” Riza mumbled, as they stood in Central City’s train station, one hand absent mindedly rubbing circles below her belly button. She could feel... _something_ , deep down inside. More like butterflies and less like the little leg of the unborn child growing inside of her womb kicking her, and definitely _not_ anything she could feel on the outside of her body.

_No need to get Roy excited over something he can’t enjoy. Not yet._

“Don’t worry, Riza. Everything is going to be fine. They’ll _love_ you. Besides, the only one you really have to worry about is Christmas, and we already know she likes you.” Roy reassured her, putting one of their bags down to squeeze her hand gently.

“I know. I just know how much they mean to you. I wanna make a good impression on them.”

“I get that. I love them to death, but truth be told, they’re annoying as hell. And I have a hard time imagining you not finding them irritating also.” He told her.

“Wasn’t expecting your belly to be that big by now.”

The expectant parents looked up and saw Madam Christmas walking towards them.

“Nice to see you, Madam.” Roy nodded, picking up their luggage and walking towards her. Riza followed behind him, trying to hide her confusion.

_Madam? Why is he calling her that and not aunt Chris or Mother?_

“How’s the baby doing?” Christmas asked, turning to look at Riza.

“Fine, according to the doctor.”

“I heard they have technology that can tell you the gender.” She commented.

“Meh.” Roy shrugged. “They said it’s only fifty percent accurate, so really, what’s even the point of doing it?”

“True. Come on, let’s get you two home. The girls have been dying to meet their newest sister.”

* * *

Riza found herself very intimidated by Madam Christmas’ Girls.

They were all... _so very pretty_. Much prettier then she was. They all had beautiful shiny hair in various lengths and colors, faces plastered with makeup- and yet still managed to look _classy_ and not _trashy_.

And they all had big boobs.

Granted, Riza wasn’t exactly flat chested, but these girls made her look and feel like a ten year old boy. It was a good thing Roy grew up with these young ladies and viewed them as nothing more then irritating sisters, or else Riza might end up finding herself... _worried._

“Oh! Roy she’s so precious!” A redhead chirped, walking up to them and pinching Riza’s cheek. _Ow._

“Cherry! Quit treating her like a little kid.” Roy huffed, smacking her hand away.

“Sorry!” Cherry winced, holding her hands up in defense as she took a step back from her brother and sister-in-law.

“Leave those two alone! Let them get settled in. You can embarrass them at dinner before shift starts!” Christmas scolded the girls, waving her hand to shoo them off.

Riza surpressed a giggle, as Christmas led her and Roy to his old room.

_Nice to know his sisters don’t immediately hate me._

* * *

Dinner with her in-laws was very interesting, to say the least. The large table was filled with various types of food and delicious smells.

“We hope you like everything.” One girl, Madeline, said to Riza.

“Everything looks _delicious_.” She smiled, sitting down.

“So do you guys have any names for the baby picked out yet?” A sister named Vanessa asked, grabbing a roll.

“Yep.” Roy nodded.

“Are you guys gonna tell us?” One of Roy’s sisters, a black haired girl named Willa, asked.

“Nope.” Riza shook her head.

“How come?” Christmas asked.

“To make y’all suffer.” Roy joked, taking a bite of green beans.

“We’re not gonna get a nephew named _Roy Junior_ are we?” Cherry asked, a look of disgust on her face.

“Hell no.” Roy scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“Why not?” Madeline asked.

“Most guys _want_ their first son to be a junior.” Another sister, Clara, pointed out.

“That’s what I said.” Riza told them.

“I’ve never understood the point. It’s completely egotistical. If my son is getting my _last_ name, he doesn’t need to be getting my first as well.” He huffed, pointing his fork to Cherry.

“What if you die while I’m pregnant and we never got a chance to discuss names?” Riza questioned. Yes, her question _was_ morbid, but she wanted to know.

“If that’s the case, go right ahead and make the kid a junior. I won’t be able to stop you. But if I’m alive, I can and I will stop you.” He told her, shrugging his shoulders as he ate some mashed potatoes.

“Do _you_ care about not naming your son after Roy?” Madeline asked, turning to Riza.

“Not really.” She shrugged.

_I wanted our first daughters middle name to be Jane, and that’s what I’m getting. So far, I have no reason to be upset._

“Question. I thought y’all were gonna use this opportunity to embarrass the hell out of me. Why aren’t you?” Roy asked.

“Oh, we decided to wait until tomorrow when you’re taking your State Alchemist exam so you can’t try to stop us.” Vanessa cackled.

 _Oh course that’s their plan._ Roy sighed.

* * *

“You need to _relax_. Being stressed out won’t do you any good tomorrow.” Riza reminded Roy, hugging him from behind as they sat on his childhood bed.

“I know. But things will be so much better if I pass. I don’t ever want you to worry about finances, and this guarantees it.” He told her.

“I understand that. But one positive about growing up poor, is that I know how to pinch a penny and stretch limited funds. Not saying that it’s an _ideal_ way to live, just that, to me, it’s not the end of the world.” Riza cooed, kissing the top of his head.

“Maybe it’s because of societies views on gender roles that has me so worried?” He shrugged.

“Probably. You’re supposed to bring food home, and I’m supposed to cook it.” Riza said, ruffling his hair in a slightly teasing manner.

The two of them got off of the bed, and climbed under the quilt, laying on their sides to face each other.

“Sorry if the mattress isn’t very comfortable.” Roy mumbled.

“It’s fine. I slept on worst growing up.” Riza told him.

She could tell he was still nervous about tomorrow, a fact that, frankly, annoyed her.

“Roy?”

“Yes?”

“Repeat after me.” She told him, placing the palm of her hand on his cheek. “ _It’s okay if I fail tomorrow. It will not be the end of the world. I just need to try my best_.”

“Riza...”

“Say it.” She ordered.

“It’s okay if I fail tomorrow. It will not be the end of the world. I just need to try my best.” He sighed, taking the hand she had rested on his cheek in his own and kissing the palm.

“I love you.” He cooed.

“I love you, more.” She smiled.

* * *

“Do you have your gloves?”

“Yes, love.”

“Are you sure?”

“ _Yes_. They’re in my pockets.”

“Check.”

Rolling his eyes, Roy shoves his hands into the pockets of his jacket... only to find them _empty_.

“Shit.”

“Go find them! You have to leave in less than _ten minutes_!” Riza ordered, pointing up the stairs, shaking her head as she watched her husband run back up the stairs.

 _I swear, he wouldn’t be able to find anything half the time if it wasn’t for me. Only reason why he doesn’t need me to find his head for him is because it’s attached to his shoulders..._ Riza sighed, shaking her head.

“What’s Roy-Boy doing?” Christmas asked, walking up to her daughter-in-law.

“Trying to find his gloves.”

“ _THERE THEY ARE!_ ”

“Good. Now hurry up or you’ll be late!” Riza ordered, as Roy ran back down the steps.

“Good luck.” Christmas smirked at him, smiling as he kissed her cheek.

“Thank you.” He told his aunt after kissing her cheek. “Love you.” He said to Riza, kissing her on both the lips and her stomach.

“See you tonight!” He yelled over his shoulder, shutting the door behind him.

Riza turned from the door back to look at Madam Christmas. “Sooo... you guys said something about embarrassing photos of Roy?” She smirked.

“Oh you’re going to fit in _great_.” Christmas chuckled, leading her back upstairs to the living quarters.

* * *

“Oh my _god_!” Riza cried, throwing her head back as she laughed at the photo of Roy that Vanessa had just pointed out in the album.

There, in a sepia toned photo, was her husband, maybe four years old, in nothing but his underwear, a blanket tied around his neck like a cape, and a pair of women’s high heeled shoes.

“What did he tell you when you asked him why he was dressed like that?” Riza asked Christmas between giggles.

“Never got around to it. Too busy laughing, if I’m being honest.” She snorted.

Turning to the next page of the album, Riza stopped when she saw a man and a woman, standing side by side, bright smiles on both of their faces. The woman had her hair pulled back in a tight bun, dressed in a high collared blouse and long flowing skirt. The man was clean shaven, hair slicked back, and dressed in a nice three piece suit.

“Who are they?” Riza asked, pointing to the couple.

“Hana and Will.” Christmas answered her, a small frown on her face.

_Hana and William Mustang. Roy’s parents._

“What were they like?” Riza asked, quietly. She didn’t know much about her biological in-laws, a fact caused by their deaths shortly before Roy’s first birthday and several years before her own birth even took place.

“They were wonderful. Hana was kind and loving. She saw the good in everyone, regardless of their background. Will had a good head on his shoulders, was never cross with anyone. All he and Hana ever wanted to do was raise Roy to be a good and honest man.” Chris explained.

“They got half of their wish. Roy _is_ a great man. I think they’d be very proud of him.” Riza smiled.

“C-Christmas?” She asked, stammering slightly, as she looked up to face her mother-in-law.

“Yes?”

“May I have this? Or any photo of them really? Me and Roy don’t really have very many family photos- from either side of our family.” She asked.

“Of course. I’ll take you shopping for a frame before you and Roy head back to East City.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

* * *

Roy sat on a bench in the hallway, waiting for his turn to take the exam. Understandably, he was nervous.

_Relax, Mustang. You can do it. You can do it. Riza believes in you. Aunt Chris believes in you. All of your sisters believe in you. What did Riza tell you to repeat last night? It’s okay if I fail tomorrow. It will not be the end of the world. I just need to try my best._

“Sergeant Mustang?”

Roy looked up and saw a man in uniform, a clip board in his hand, open the door and step out into the hallway, and by the patch on his shoulder, Roy could tell this man was a Warant Officer.

“Yes, Sir?” He asked, saluting him.

“His excellency, Führer King Bradley, is ready to see what you can do.” The man told Roy, stepping back inside the room.

 _Okay._ Roy nodded, taking the gloves out of his pockets and slipping them on.

_It’s go time._

* * *

When Roy returned to Madam Christmas’ bar, he didn’t say anything to his aunt or her girls, instead choosing to walk up the stairs back to he and Riza’s temporary room.

“Did he pass?” Clara asked quietly.

“Or did he fail?” Madeline asked, just as softly.

“I don’t know. Can’t read his body language.” Cherry frowned.

Letting out a shaky breath, Roy turned the doorknob and opened the door, seeing Riza laying on the bed, reading one of the books she brought with her.

“How did it go?” She asked, saving her place and putting the book down on the night table.

Roy gave her a small smile- one of _happiness_ or _disappointment_ , she couldn’t tell- took his hands out of his coat pocket.

And dangled a silver pocket watch from a chain for her to see.

Riza let out a gasp, jumping out of bed and walking towards him.

“You passed?” She asked, smiling brightly.

“I passed!” He laughed, throwing his arms around her in happiness.

“I told you that you would!” She reminded him, kissing him on the lips between words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnnnd Roy is officially the Flame Alchemist!


End file.
